Father Figure
by TheodoraThayer
Summary: SEMMA - What if Emma and Sean shared a secret, intimate night together before Sean went to Afghanistan? And what if that night produced a child Sean never knew about? Well, it's nearly 14 years later and Emma's son is looking and acting just like his father. What happens when Sean discovers the son he never knew existed?
1. Chapter 1

The morning began like every other weekday morning for Emma Nelson. She woke up to her phone alarm going off, then groaned, shut it off, stretched, got out of bed and walked down the stairs from her attic master bedroom and down the second-floor hall to her son's room to wake him up for school.

"Drew?" She knocked then peeked her head into his room, "Time to wake up."

Drew would groan and his responses to Emma's command were usually "Already?" or "Can I sleep five more minutes?" or his most popular answer, "I don't want to go to school."

Today it was, "I don't want to go to school," to which Emma replied, "That's too bad. You have to go. Now get up."

"Ugh, fine."

Emma shook her head, "I'm starting the shower for you so you better get in there soon."

Drew covered his head with his pillow and said, "Okay, okay!"

Emma closed his door and headed to the three-piece washroom next to Drew's room. She turned on the shower and headed downstairs to cook some breakfast. She didn't do it every day, but she was in the mood to cook for her son on this particular Monday morning.

She smiled when she heard Drew's footsteps go from his room to the washroom. She made him an omelet for breakfast and was finishing a bowl of cereal when he came downstairs. When he sat down, she asked, "So, how does today look?"

"Looks as boring as every other day."

Emma looked at her son and shook her head. He had entered his moody teenage years, and she was missing the cute, happy-go-lucky, pre-hormonal Andrew. "Any tests? Papers due?"

"Nope. I had an algebra test on Friday. We should get the grades today." He took a bite of his omelet and said, "And I think we'll be getting our History grades too."

Emma asked, "And how do you think you did?"

Drew shrugged.

"Well, I guess we'll find out soon enough."

Drew rolled his eyes and continued to eat.

When Emma finished her cereal, she went upstairs to shower and get ready for work.

After he finished his breakfast, Drew retreated to his room to get ready for school and to get his books together.

* * *

Emma, who was putting some lip gloss on as she was walking down the stairs from her room, called from down the hall, "Are you ready yet, young man?"

"Yes, mom."

"Good, because it's time to go. Grandpa is expecting you in his office first thing."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

Emma peeked into her son's bedroom, "You're the one who got in trouble. Not me."

"Whatever."

"Don't 'whatever' me. Downstairs now." Emma walked away from her son's room and couldn't help but giggle. He definitely took after his father. She walked down the stairs, put on her coat, grabbed her purse and waited. She called up the stairs, "Andrew Cameron Nelson, if you're not down here in five seconds."

Drew jogged down the stairs and looked at his mother.

She asked, "Do you have everything?"

"Yes," Drew rolled his eyes and Emma opened the front door.

She pointed toward the front door and said, "Go."

* * *

Emma pulled up to the Degrassi Community School and looked at her son, "Andrew, can we have just one trouble-free day?" He rolled his eyes at her and she continued, "I don't think I'm asking for too much."

"Fine. I'll try."

"Thank you." She unlocked the passenger door and said, "So I'll pick you up after detention?"

"Yes. Can I go now?"

"Yes, you can. Have a good day."

Drew mumbled, "Whatever," under his breath, opened the door and walked out.

Emma shook her head. It felt as though she was being punished for never telling Sean about his son. Although it was getting tougher and tougher to conceal Drew's true parentage because his behavior was just like Sean's when he was a teenager and he resembled his father right down to his light eyes. The only thing different is Drew inherited Emma's height genes or maybe they were Sean's father's height genes. Either way, at nearly 14, Drew was already 5'7" tall and showing no signs of stopping. Emma had been hoping that her son would inherit her darker eyes, but no such luck. She gave birth to Sean Cameron's clone.

* * *

Emma arrived at work and sat at her desk. She became a realtor when Drew went into kindergarten and had become one of the best realtors in her agency and in all of Toronto. Thanks to her hard work and high-end clients, Emma could afford to live in a large semi-detached house in a well-sort after neighborhood in Toronto. To most people, it seemed as if it was way too much house for two people but Emma always wanted a big house so she bought it when she could. She had hoped that one day she'd have enough family to justify the purchase.

Even though they lived about 20 minutes away, Emma enrolled Drew in Degrassi because she wanted him to experience the same schooling she did. And it was easier to keep tabs on him with her father as the principal.

Her boss walked over to her desk and greeted her, "Hey, Emma."

"Hi, Dylan."

"How are you looking today?"

"I have three showings."

"Oh, good."

"Yep," She opened her desk drawer, looked through her file tabs and grabbed a folder. "I was just picking up the paperwork for my first two showings. One of which is the three-story house on Lytton Boulevard." She held it up to show Dylan. "And I'll be heading over to the one on Indian Road later today."

"Both are spectacular but the one on Lytton, wow."

Emma nodded, "I know. Someone should scoop it up soon. Hopefully, it will be this couple."

He smiled and asked, "Do you think you have time for one more today?"

"I don't see why not, why? Who needs help?"

"Miriam. She's sick and is supposed to show a pretty-nice apartment to a client today." He handed her the folder.

Emma thumbed through it and nodded, "Wow, this is a nice place."

"Yeah, the guy owns his own business, and he's looking for a bigger apartment closer to his job."

"Okay." She looked at the specs, "This place seems a little big for a single guy. But, don't worry, it should be an easy sell."

"I don't know if he's single, but it is a great place and if anyone can sell it, you can." He turned to walk away then turned back around, "I really appreciate you doing this."

Emma smiled and said, "Not a problem."

"The appointment is at 1."

"Sounds good. That's right in between my other appointments and on the way to the Indian Road house."

Dylan smiled, "You're the best, Emma."

She smiled, and he walked away. She gathered all the paperwork for the day and headed to her car.

* * *

As she waited outside the building where Miriam's appointment was to take place, Emma's phone buzzed. It was Archie.

"Oh, God. What now?" Emma assumed Drew got in trouble again, but when she opened the text it was actually good news.

"Drew passed his algebra test. He not only passed it, but he also got an 82."

Emma smiled and said, "Finally." She was about to text Archie back when she heard someone call her name.

"Emma?"

* * *

Sean Cameron was on his way to a real estate appointment. After three years of owning and running Cameron's Custom Cars, he had finally saved up enough money to buy an apartment. He had been looking for a little while but just couldn't commit to anything. Just like his love life. He was still single in his early 30s and whenever someone brought it up, he'd joke that he was married to his job. He wasn't lying, exactly. The shop was open six days away, and he ran the office and worked on cars so he was always busy but he loved it. Opening his own shop was his dream and when it finally became a reality, Sean wanted to make sure everything was done right.

He parked his truck up the street from the building where he was supposed to be meeting a substitute agent. His regular agent, Miriam, had texted Sean to let him know that she was sick but that another agent in the firm would help him today.

As he walked toward the person standing in front of the building, he couldn't believe his eyes. It was Emma Nelson.

Sean hadn't seen Emma since she was 18 but there was no mistaking her. She was a woman now. He noticed she was looking at her phone and when he saw her smile, his heart skipped a beat. No other woman could live up to Emma. That was another reason Sean was still single. Sean could never get Emma out of his system. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, he measured up every woman to Emma and if they didn't, he'd be out the door.

He called out her name, and she stopped typing on her phone.


	2. Chapter 2

Emma froze. She heard a voice she hadn't heard in nearly 14 years. It couldn't be him. She took a deep breath, looked up, and she felt faint. It _was_ him. He was older but there was no mistaking that face, Sean Cameron of all people was walking towards her. She nearly squeaked out his name, "Sean?"

"Wow, it is you." Sean smiled and walked up to her, "So are you my agent today?"

"Um, yes, Miriam's sick so I said I would do this showing for her."

"Yeah, she texted me and told me she wasn't feeling well but she also assured me that her coworker would take good care of me." He smiled at her. "It's really great to see you."

"It's great to see you too."

They hugged awkwardly and Sean pulled away. "Just so you know, I don't have that much time because I have to get back to work."

"Right." Emma took out the set of keys to get into the building and into the apartment. "Well, let's head upstairs then."

Sean couldn't believe it. He thought his mind was playing tricks on him. But it wasn't, it was really Emma Nelson. He followed her into the building and into the elevator. The ride up was awkward and silent. He couldn't think of anything to say to her and she was avoiding saying anything to him. He noticed her left hand had a band on the ring finger and he immediately felt sad then realized that was a silly thing to feel. They hadn't seen each other for so long. Not since they were 18, so why would it matter if she was single or not? She moved on with her life and isn't harboring feelings for him like Sean is for her.

Emma was afraid she would trip in front of Sean. Her legs felt weak. She couldn't believe it was him. She kept thinking to herself, 'Don't trip,' repeatedly, and she took her steps carefully. When they got into the elevator, she couldn't even look at him. She was afraid she'd reveal too much just by looking at him so she looked at her phone and pretended to be busy with work stuff.

As they walked down the hall together, with Emma walking slightly ahead of Sean, she started her sales pitch, "So this place is a two-bedroom, it has 2 and 1⁄2 baths, it's 1600 square feet, it's open concept and you have a balcony that has views of the lake."

Sean couldn't care less. He couldn't stop looking at her. "Yeah, sounds great."

Emma keyed in and opened the door. "Oh, and there's a gym on the third floor and a nice roof deck with a barbecue and seating areas in case you want to throw a party."

"Great." Sean followed her inside.

"Here's the half bath." She opened the door, "It's a nice feature because people won't have to use either of the bathrooms attached to the bedrooms."

Sean peeked in. It was modern, clean and perfect. It had a glass vessel sink on top of a wood cabinet. "This is great." He thought to himself, 'Jesus, Cameron, stop saying great.'

Emma walked into the main part of the apartment which contained the kitchen, dining area, and living area. The two bedrooms were on either side and they both had attached baths. They considered the bedroom on the left the master because it was slightly bigger, had a bigger closet and had access to the balcony. "The bedrooms are nearly identical but this one," She pointed toward the left, "Is a bit bigger and it has balcony access."

"Oh, okay." Sean walked in and Emma followed. He looked at the balcony, "That's really nice," He turned and looked at her, "But it's a little too cold to go back out there." He then walked around the room. He opened the closet and chuckled, "I definitely don't need this much closet space."

Emma smiled. She noticed his left ring finger was empty and wondered if he was single or just not committed to anyone.

He walked into the master bathroom and nodded, "This is perfect. Kind of masculine, don't you think?" He opened and closed the doors on the bathroom vanity which was dark wood with a quartz counter and two white vessel sinks.

Emma nodded, "Yeah, I'd probably add a little chandelier to make it not so masculine in here."

Sean looked at her and Emma walked out of the bathroom.

"Anyway," She walked back into the living area, "What do you think of the main living space?"

Sean followed her and looked around, "I like this a lot. It's bright in here."

"Yeah. South-facing windows bring in a lot of light during the day." Emma pointed toward a corner in the room, "This would probably be where you'd put a dining table."

Sean smiled and said, "Guess I have to buy one." Emma smiled and Sean walked over to the second bedroom. He peeked in and looked back at Emma, "This place is really something."

Emma smiled, "Oh! I forgot to show you the best part."

"Oh?"

She nodded, "Yep." They walked back toward the entryway and Emma opened a door that Sean thought was another closet but it revealed a stacked washer/dryer.

"Oh yeah, that is perfect." He looked and said, "I'm sick of having to do my laundry in a laundromat."

Emma smiled and closed the door, "So, are you thinking about getting this place?"

He nodded, "Yep," He looked toward the second bedroom, "I was a little worried about it being too big for just me but I can always use that room as an office or guest room for my parents."

"How are they doing?"

"They're getting old."

Emma smiled.

Sean said, "Anyway, let me think about it. I can let you know by close of business today."

"Sounds good." She took out her phone. "Let's exchange numbers."

"Okay."

"I'll give you my personal number since we're old friends."

Sean smiled. They exchanged numbers and Sean said, "I really have to get going but I'll call you before 5, okay?"

"Yep. I'll be waiting."

He hugged her again, "It was great to see you."

"It was great to see you too."

The hug lingered a little longer than either of them expected and Sean suddenly pulled away, "So I'll talk to ya later."

"Yep."

"Bye."

Sean nearly jogged out of the apartment then looked back at the door as it closed. He couldn't believe it. Emma Nelson was back in his life. There were so many times when he wanted to get in touch with her but chickened out and now she was back, seemingly out of nowhere.

Emma stood inside the apartment shellshocked. She had to sit down for a few moments and compose herself before she could leave. She felt like she was on the verge of tears and she needed to calm down. Emma wasn't ready to have Sean back in her life. Not until she could figure out how to tell him about his son.

Her phone buzzed. It was Archie again. "More good news. Drew got an 83 on his history exam. The tutoring is working."

Emma smiled then thought about Sean. How was he going to react when he finds out he has an almost 14-year-old son he never knew existed?

* * *

Sean drove back to work and couldn't concentrate at all. He was so shocked to see Emma that he didn't know how to act around her. He didn't even ask her what was going on in her life or about the ring on her finger. But Emma was also silent. Sean assumed she was just as shocked to see him as he was to see her.

Sean looked at the clock on his computer screen and when it hit 4:45, he called Emma.

As he waited for her to answer, he rehearsed the conversation in his head but as soon as she answered that went out the window.

"This is Emma."

"Hey, it's Sean."

"Oh hi. Sorry, I'm in work mode and didn't even realize I was answering my personal phone."

Sean laughed, "That's okay."

Emma asked, "So have you decided?"

"Yep. I will bid on it."

"Wonderful! Miriam will be thrilled."

"I'm sure she will be. This was the 10th place she pulled for me."

"Wow. I didn't realize you were so picky, Sean."

He laughed, "Yeah, neither did I."

Emma laughed and looked at her computer, "So I can send you the paperwork via email then you can print it out, sign it and scan it."

"Sounds good."

Sean gave her his email address and Emma asked, "Cameron's Custom Cars?"

"Yep. Opened nearly three years ago."

"Sean, that's amazing."

"Yeah, I still can't believe it."

"I don't mean to sound condescending when I say this but I'm proud of you."

"Thank you. That means a lot coming from you, Em."

As soon as he called her, "Em," Emma felt tears building in her eyes and she cleared her throat, "So I'll send you the paperwork in a few minutes and you can send it to Miriam as soon as you can. I'll copy her in the email."

"Sounds good."

"Okay, well, it was good seeing you."

"It was good to see you too."

Her heart started racing, but she didn't want this to be it between them. So she asked him out, "Sean?"

"Yeah?"

"I was just wondering if you'd like to go out to dinner sometime?"

Sean asked, "Your husband wouldn't mind?"

Emma asked, "Husband?"

"Yeah, I noticed you were wearing a band on your left hand."

"Oh!" Emma laughed, "I'm not married. I just wear that as a deterrent."

"Is it that much of a problem?"

"You wouldn't believe how much of a problem it is. Even married men hit on me."

"Well, I mean who could blame them." Sean cleared his throat, "So you're not married or engaged?"

"No, I am not. I am single." Emma asked, "And you? Wife? Fiance?"

"No. Not even close."

Emma felt relieved, "Oh yeah?"

"Yes."

"So dinner?"

Sean smiled, "Yes. I would love to. We haven't seen each other for a long time and it would be nice to catch up properly."

She smiled, "Good."

He asked, "How about this Friday night?"

Emma smiled, "I'm available."

Sean said, "Good. We have a lot to catch up on."

"We certainly do." Emma thought about just how much they had to catch up on and her heart started racing.

"I'll call you later in the week and we'll finalize plans then."

"Okay, sounds good."

Sean didn't want to hang up with her, but one of his workers was standing in his door. "Um, Em, I gotta go. One of my guys needs me."

"Okay, I'll talk to you soon."

"Yeah, bye."

"Bye."

Sean looked at his mechanic Brad and asked, "Everything okay?"

"Yep. Just letting you know I'm done with the BMW."

"Great," Sean stood up, "Let's take a look at it."

Emma knew going out to dinner with Sean would be risky, but she hoped that she'd come up with a way to tell him about Drew before Friday arrived. She knew his reaction would not be a good one, but she wanted to be the one to tell him. She couldn't take the chance of him finding out on his own.


	3. Chapter 3

Two days later, Emma was finishing up at her office. She walked over to her boss's office. "Hey, Dylan."

"How's this week going for you?"

"Well, so far. Two out of my three clients are taking their places and Miriam's client is taking her place. Well, he's bidding on it. I think I forgot to tell you that the other day." She shook her head, "I'm sorry, I've had a lot on my mind."

"That's okay." Dylan looked at his computer screen and said, "You're my best agent Emma."

She smiled and said, "Thanks." She continued, "So all the paperwork is with the clients and I'm heading out of here. I have to pick up my son at school."

He looked at his clock and said, "So late?"

"Detention. Again."

"Sorry to hear it."

Emma shrugged her shoulders, "He's a typical teenage boy who enjoys getting into trouble."

Dylan smiled.

"Have a good night."

"You too."

Emma walked over to her desk, grabbed her coat and purse and left.

* * *

Emma parked in front of the Degrassi Community School and waited. Drew was running late, and she feared he had earned himself another detention. She was looking through her work emails on her phone when he opened the door and got in.

"Hey, kiddo." She put her phone in her purse, "How was school?"

"It was school."

She shook her head and pulled away from the curb. "So what are you in the mood to eat tonight?"

"A cheeseburger."

Emma laughed. No matter how much she tried, her son would never be a vegetarian. "You can have a cheeseburger."

"And not one of those Beyond or Impossible cheeseburgers. I want a real burger."

"Okay, fine. I can do that for you."

"Thanks."

Emma asked, "Any tests this week?"

"Not yet, unless someone surprises us with a pop quiz."

"Teachers still do that?"

"Sometimes."

Emma smiled, "Okay. And do you have a lot of homework tonight?"

"Yes."

"Great, so while _I'm_ making _your_ burger, _you_ can do your homework."

Drew rolled his eyes and Emma smiled at him.

"Oh, you love me and you know it."

Drew shook his head and couldn't help but laugh at his mother. "You're so weird, mom."

* * *

Sean sat in his truck and couldn't believe what he was seeing. The kid who emerged from Degrassi's main doors looked a lot like he did at 13 only with lighter hair. His heart raced and then he thought back to the last time he saw Emma before his deployment.

He had come back to say goodbye to the Simpson-Nelson clan before he was being sent to Kandahar, Afghanistan and stayed with them for the weekend. The night before he left, Emma sneaked him down to her room, and they made love one last time. It was quiet; it was sweet, and he truly believed at the time that it would be the last time he'd ever be intimate with someone. Sean had convinced himself that he'd never make it out of Afghanistan alive.

Sean watched as Emma's car pulled away from the curb and he said, "Holy shit. I have a son." He put his truck in drive and followed Emma's car.

* * *

About an hour later, Emma was making dinner when her doorbell rang.

"Sweetie, can you answer the door and see who it is?"

Drew didn't move and said, "Mom, I'm in the middle of Call of Duty."

Emma turned around, "What have I told you about that?" She walked out of the kitchen and into the living room, "You play that when you're done with your homework and I know you're not done yet."

"Ugh," Drew turned it off, "Fine. I'll go finish my homework." He walked over to the stairs and Emma went to the front door.

"I'll be up there in a few minutes to make sure you're actually working, young man."

"Okay, okay." He stomped up the stairs and Emma shook her head.

Sean was pacing on Emma's front porch and could hear her exchange with their son. He took a deep breath while he waited for her to open the door.

Emma opened the door, shocked at who was standing there. "Sean?" She turned to make sure Drew was in his room and then turned back to Sean, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I don't know. I just figured I'd stop by and see how _my_ child was doing."

Emma felt faint, "Who told you?"

"No one told me. I _saw_ him."

She asked, "How on earth did you see him?"

"That doesn't matter right now. What matters is you keeping my child from me for nearly 14 years."

Emma lowered her voice and said, "Please keep your voice down."

Sean shook his head and lowered his voice, "How could you do this to me, Emma?"

Emma quietly said, "I'm sorry."

"That's great. You're sorry." He had tears in his eyes. "I could have helped you. You didn't have to do this by yourself."

"Hold on, I'll come outside." She grabbed her coat, stepped out onto the porch and shut the front door.

He looked at her and asked, "Would I have ever known about him?"

She quietly answered, "Eventually."

Sean scoffed, "Eventually? Would you have kept him from me until he was 30?"

"No." She shook her head and cried, "The longer I went without telling you, the easier it became to keep it a secret." Emma looked at Sean, "But then he turned into your clone. His behavior, his attitude, his face. It's uncanny."

"Maybe it's karma for keeping him from me all these years."

She looked at the door then back at Sean, "I'm not sure if he's ready to meet you yet. That's why I thought we should go to dinner. I wanted to tell you then."

"Fine. I'm not staying but I just wanted you to know that I know about him." He walked down the stairs and turned toward her, "And forget about going out to dinner. I'm too angry to even look at you right now."

"Sean!" He didn't even turn back after she called his name. He walked away from the house and Emma cried even harder. She had never seen Sean this angry or hurt.

"Shit." She hit the front door with her fist and leaned her head against it. After a few moments, she opened the door and stepped inside.

"Mom?" Drew peeked down the stairs, "Are you okay?"

She quickly wiped her face and hung up her coat, "Yep." She turned around and mustered a smile, "I'm fine. Dinner will be ready in about 5 minutes."

Sean stormed away from Emma's house and got into his truck. He didn't start it right away, instead, he hit the steering wheel with his fists and put his head down. He was so angry with Emma for keeping his son from him. He didn't even know how to react or what to do.

* * *

"Drew, dinner's ready!"

Drew jogged down the stairs and walked into the kitchen, "So who was at the door?"

"Just a cable salesman."

"A cable salesman made you that angry?"

"They can annoy you sometimes." She looked at him, "Eat your dinner."

"Fine."

Emma and her son ate in silence. She watched him eat his burger, and it was like being in seventh and eighth grade all over again. Drew was so much like his dad. He had his mannerisms. He rubbed his nose a lot. He rolled his eyes a lot. He cleared his throat a lot. He had Sean's dimples. You could see them when Drew smiled, which wasn't often lately. Especially not now that he's a brooding teenage boy.

Emma knew that growing up without a father was difficult for Drew but Archie filled in as a father figure as much as possible and he was a happy kid until his hormones kicked in.

Emma didn't want Sean to find out about Drew until she could tell him herself. And she didn't want him to discover Drew on his own because she knew how angry he'd be. She just couldn't figure out how he found out.

* * *

After driving around for a while, Sean walked into his apartment, took off his coat and flopped onto his couch. He leaned back and stared at the ceiling. He was so angry with Emma but he wanted to meet his child and he knew he couldn't shut her out of his life otherwise Sean would never see him.

Sean gave himself a few more minutes to calm down, then he grabbed his phone and sent her a text. "I'm sorry for blowing up at you. I'm just in shock."

As he waited for her answer, he grabbed a beer.

Emma was sitting on her couch moping when her phone vibrated. She looked and saw it was a text from Sean. She read the message and exhaled. She felt relief.

Emma texted back, "Don't be sorry. I deserved worse."

Sean took a deep breath and sent, "I'd still like to get together for dinner because we have a lot to talk about."

Emma texted, "We do."

Sean wrote back, "We'll talk tomorrow."

Emma typed back, "Okay."

Sean took a sip of his beer and said to himself, "I can't believe I have a son." He shook his head and drank some more.

Emma put her phone on her coffee table, tucked her feet under her rear end and rested her head on the couch.

* * *

In the office the next day, Miriam walked over to Emma.

"Thank you so much for the help with Mr. Cameron. He was a tough client so I'm glad you could talk him into bidding for that place down by the water."

Emma smiled, "Honestly, I think the place did most of the talking."

"Well, either way. Thank you."

Emma nodded then rolled her eyes behind Miriam's back. If Miriam had done her own showing, Sean wouldn't have found out about Drew. At least not yet.

* * *

Later that day, just after lunch, Sean texted Emma.

"So are we still on for dinner this weekend?"

Emma's phone buzzed as she was driving and she turned it over when she got to a red light. She read Sean's message and answered, "If you still want to."

Sean answered back immediately, "Yes, I still want to."

Emma took a deep breath.

He texted again, "We'll finalize everything tomorrow, okay?"

Emma replied, "Sounds good."

Sean didn't text back and Emma felt a pang in her chest. She was afraid of how mad Sean was and afraid that no matter what she tells him, he wouldn't be able to forgive her.


	4. Chapter 4

Sean had a hard time concentrating at work the rest of the day, and when he got home from work that night, he sent Emma three texts in a row.

"I need to see you tonight."

"I can't wait until tomorrow."

"Is there any way you can come over to my place?"

Emma looked at her phone, panicked slightly, then typed back, "Yes. I can. Just have to get mom or Archie to come over to watch Drew."

Sean said, "Drew" out loud. He finally knew his son's name.

He texted her the directions to his place, and she texted back, "Just give me 20 minutes to a half an hour."

Sean texted back, "Okay." He took a quick shower and changed into jeans and a gray henley shirt. He sat down on his couch at first but was feeling too antsy to sit still. He got up, and he started pacing, but after a few moments, he realized he'd probably burn a hole in his rug. So Sean calmed his nerves by cleaning up. There wasn't that much to do. Sean's apartment wasn't that large, and he kept it relatively neat. After he straightened up his living room, Sean sat on the edge of his couch and anxiously awaited Emma's arrival.

* * *

Emma called her mom and explained what was going on. She climbed the stairs, peeked into Drew's room and said, "Your grandma is coming over. I have to go out for a little while."

Drew didn't take his eyes off his computer and said, "Okay."

Emma closed his door and walked up to her bedroom to change out of her work outfit. She had a feeling Sean would ream her out when she got to his place and she wanted to be comfortable in her clothes. She put on a soft, oversized royal blue sweater, medium-wash skinny jeans and a pair of knee-high black leather riding boots. She was also hoping that looking good would make Sean soften up a bit when she arrived.

When Christine walked in, Emma put on her coat, "Thanks for this mom. I really appreciate it."

"Not a problem. I'll make sure Drew finishes his homework."

"Thanks. I don't think I'll be too long."

"It's fine if you are. I enjoy spending time with my grandson even if he doesn't enjoy spending time with me."

Emma laughed, "Don't take it personally. He doesn't really enjoy spending time with anyone these days."

"Well, good luck."

Emma took a deep breath, "Thanks, I will definitely need it."

Emma headed out the door and Christine sighed, "Please. Let everything be okay."

* * *

Sean was sitting on the edge of his couch when his buzzer rang. He took a deep breath and jogged over to the intercom. He let Emma into the building, opened the door to his place and looked down the hall toward the elevator. A few moments later, he watched as she stepped out. He waved at her, and she walked toward him. His heart raced as soon as she looked at him, but he didn't want her to know how nervous he was.

Emma looked down the hall at Sean and felt terror. She knew she had to do this, but she was afraid of Sean's wrath.

He said, "Hi."

Emma replied quietly, "Hello."

He held the door open and said, "Come on in."

Emma walked in, and Sean closed the door.

"Can I take your coat?"

"Yes, thanks."

Sean took Emma's coat and hung it up. "Come on in." They walked down the long hall, past his bathroom and bedroom and into the main living area of his place which contained both the living room and kitchen, "Would you like something to drink?"

Emma looked around and then sat down on the couch, "Some water would be nice." Her throat was so dry, it was almost burning. Her nerves had gotten the best of her.

"You got it." Sean grabbed a glass and filled it for her, "Here you go."

"Thank you." Emma took a sip, was about to put the glass on Sean's side table, then took another sip. She looked around and said, "This is a nice place."

"Thanks." Sean dragged a chair from his small dining table over and sat down in front of Emma. She put her glass on the table and readied herself for Sean's wrath. He looked at her and said, "So…" Emma said nothing. "If we hadn't run into each other, were you ever going to tell me about him?"

She looked down at her hands and nodded, "Yes."

"Emma, I could have been helping you this whole time. I could have been sending you money if you didn't want me around."

"That's not..." Emma shook her head and stopped herself from saying anything else.

Sean said, "I feel like a deadbeat dad." He asked, "Does he think I'm a deadbeat dad?" She looked up at him and shook her head, "Is he even curious about me?"

"He is. He knows that you didn't know about him and I think a lot of his anger stems from that."

Sean shook his head, "I really can't believe you did this to me."

"You had enough to deal with. You were fighting a war. Adding a baby to that? It seemed like too much."

"Okay, I'll give you that, but what about after, Emma? I made it back home alive and you never even told me I had a son. I could have been in his life this whole time."

Emma cried, "I'm sorry, Sean. I really am. It was so stupid of me." Sean got up and sat next to her on the couch. "I should have told you right away."

"Remember the scare we had in high school?"

She looked at him, "How can I forget?"

"I told you I'd send you money and help you out. That I'd be home on leave."

"But I wanted more than that. I wanted you to be with me all the time and you weren't."

"So instead you punished me by not telling me about my son for almost 14 years?"

She shook her head. "No. That's not what happened!" She sobbed, and Sean didn't know what to do. He was angry with her, but he also was still in love with her and he couldn't hate her even though nearly everyone else in his position would.

"Come here," Sean wrapped his arms around Emma and let her cry into his chest. After a few moments, Sean smelled her hair and couldn't help but kiss it.

Emma pulled away from his chest and looked at him with tears in her eyes. Sean stared back and couldn't stop himself from grabbing her and kissing her. Emma kissed him back, but it lasted only a few moments.

Sean pulled away and stood up, "Sorry. I don't know what came over me."

"I do." Sean turned to her, and she said, "You still love me."

He shook his head and paced, "I think I am just overwhelmed by everything. Seeing you again after all these years, finding out we have a child together..." Sean was lying. He still loved her.

Emma shook her head, "Nope. That kiss was not an 'I am overwhelmed by everything' kiss, Sean." She looked up at him and said, "That was an 'I'm still in love you' kiss."

Sean stopped pacing, looked at her and accepted his defeat, "Fine. I'll admit it. I'm still in love with you. And I will probably always be in love with you, but I'm also so angry at you."

Emma nodded, "I know and you have every right to be."

"You kept my child from me. I missed him being born, I missed his first words, his first steps, his first day at school. I've missed so much, Emma." Emma said nothing, and he sat on the arm of the couch, "What's his full name? You called him Drew earlier."

"His name is Andrew Cameron Nelson."

Sean's eyes teared up, "You gave him my name?"

Emma nodded and smiled, "I did."

"When's his birthday?"

"March 6."

"So he's turning 14 soon." He shook his head and let tears fall from his eyes, "Who else knows?"

"My parents, Manny and Liberty."

"That's it?"

"Well, Marco figured it out."

Sean looked shocked, "Marco? Del Rossi?"

"He's Drew's English teacher at Degrassi and not only is the resemblance uncanny, but he's so much like you were at that age. Especially his attitude."

"Oh yeah?"

Emma nodded, "It was at parents' night earlier this year. Marco pulled me aside and said how obvious it was becoming. He remarked about how much Drew was like you." Sean looked at her. "He has your hair, your eyes, your nose, and dimples."

"Please tell me he has your height." Emma smiled and nodded. "Oh good."

"Oh stop. You're acting as if you're Marco's height."

Sean smiled. "So he's a lot like me?"

Emma nodded and patted the spot next to her on the couch, "So much like you. It's you in eighth grade again, just with lighter hair."

Sean sat down next to her and shook his head, "I can't believe he's a teenager."

"So would you like to meet him?"

He turned to her, "Of course I do."

"Okay, we'll arrange something."

"I just don't want to overwhelm him."

Emma grabbed his hand, "You won't."

"And I don't want him to hate me."

"He'll hate me more than you. Believe me."

"I can't wait to tell my parents they're grandparents for the fourth time."

"Tracker has three?"

Sean nodded, "All girls."

"Wow."

Sean laughed, "Yeah. I cannot imagine what it's like."

They talked for a little while, and it turned into a pleasant conversation. Emma was glad about that. She expected Sean to yell at her the whole time. Sean was also glad. He didn't want to yell at Emma, he just wanted to know more about his son.

Emma checked the time on her phone and said, "I should get back home. Drew is probably torturing his grandmother."

Sean chuckled and said, "Poor Christine."

Emma smiled and stood up. Sean joined her and they walked down the hall to his entryway.

Sean grabbed her coat out of the closet and asked, "So can we still go to dinner tomorrow night?"

Emma said, "If you want to."

Sean helped her with her coat, "I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't want to go." Emma turned so they were face-to-face. They stood there for a few moments staring at each other and Sean asked, "What is this hold you have over me, Em?"

Emma took a step closer so their faces were almost touching then rubbed her nose against his, "It's probably the same hold you have over me."

Sean couldn't take it any longer, grabbed her face and kissed her again. This time neither one of them pulled away. They kissed and fumbled around until they made it into Sean's bedroom.

Sean was kissing her neck when Emma said, "Sean, wait."

Sean pulled away breathless then leaned his forehead against hers, "What's wrong?"

She quietly asked, "Are you sure about this?"

Sean pushed her coat off her shoulders and smiled, "I've been wanting to do this since I saw you the other day."

"But what about every—"

Sean put his finger to her lips and shook his head. "Don't overthink it." He brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "Okay?"

Emma nodded, and they kissed again. After a few moments, they undressed each other. Sean was the aggressor and had Emma sit on the foot of the bed so he could unzip her boots and take them off. Once they finished getting undressed, Emma crawled back toward his headboard and Sean climbed on top of her.

"You're still so beautiful, Em." She blushed, and he caressed her face, "You are."

She smiled and said, "Just take it easy, okay? It's been a long time for me."

He smiled, "You don't have to worry." He kissed her and pulled away, "I would never hurt you."


	5. Chapter 5

A while later, Sean and Emma were lying together in Sean's bed. Emma was tracing circles on Sean's chest, and he was stroking her hair.

She smiled and said, "I can't believe we just did that."

He laughed, "Me either. But it was wonderful."

"It was." She laced her fingers with his.

"I couldn't let you leave, Em. I had to be with you again."

Emma looked up at him, "It reminded me of our first time in a way."

"Oh yeah?"

Emma nodded, "Because that's about how long it's been for me. But, obviously, it was better than our first time because we both know what we're doing now."

"Thank goodness." Sean smiled, "I really do love you, Emma. I've never stopped."

"I love you too." She raised herself up so they were face to face. "It's probably why I'm still single. Well, that and the whole having a child thing."

"I still can't believe I'm a dad." Emma nodded. "I also can't believe we just made love." Emma smiled and kissed him. When he pulled away, he asked, "Do you really have to go home?"

"I can probably stay a little while longer."

"Good."

* * *

Sean walked Emma to his door.

"Well, tonight didn't turn out exactly how I had planned."

Emma smiled.

"I want to meet Drew as soon as possible."

"How about tomorrow? You and I were going to dinner anyway. Maybe you could come to our house and I can cook dinner for all three of us."

Sean nodded, "I can do that."

"Great." She looked at him and said, "I'd better go. It's getting late and I have to relieve mom."

"Okay." He opened his door.

Emma smiled and said, "Goodnight, Sean."

"Goodnight, Em."

She walked out, and he watched as she waited for the elevator. She waved one last night before she stepped inside, and Sean closed his door.

* * *

When Emma keyed into her house, it was nearly 10 p.m. Christine, who was sitting on the couch reading a book, raised her eyebrow at Emma.

Emma asked, "What?"

"You have an 'I just had sex' look on your face, Em." Emma blushed. "Really?"

"Our feelings are very intense and we couldn't help ourselves." She looked at her mom and said, "We still love each other."

"He said he loved you?"

Emma nodded, "He said he never stopped, but he also said that he's still furious with me for keeping his son away from him."

"That's understandable."

"I know." Emma hung up her coat. "So how was Drew?"

"He was fine. Really."

"Good." She looked up the stairs and said, "I just don't know how he will react to finally meeting his dad."

Christine looked at Emma and asked, "So, how many times?"

Emma gasped and said, "Mom!"

"What?"

Emma shook her head and said, "Twice."

Christine smiled, "You two… you've always had that pull towards one another. Ever since you were kids."

Emma nodded, "Yep."

"Can I ask another uncomfortable question?"

"Sure."

"How long had it been for you?"

"To be honest, it felt like I was a virgin again because it had been so long but he was wonderful, really."

"That's sweet."

"He is sweet. Too sweet. I did a really terrible thing." She shook her head, "Sean shouldn't be this nice to me. I deserve his wrath."

"Maybe he realizes that enough time has been wasted, and he doesn't want to waste any more time by being angry with you."

Emma nodded, "He's coming over tomorrow night to meet Drew."

"That soon?"

"Well, it's like you said, he doesn't want to waste any more time and he wants to meet his son."

"How do you think Drew will react?"

Emma shook her head and looked up toward the second floor of the house, "I don't know."

* * *

Sean went back into his bedroom after Emma left, looked at the messy bedding and smiled. The night didn't go exactly how he intended, but he was still happy about it.

* * *

Emma was attempting to read a book before bed but couldn't get past the same paragraph for close to half an hour. She kept thinking about her night with Sean and about how nice it was. After a while, she placed the book on her nightstand, grabbed her phone and she texted him.

"I just wanted to say thank you for earlier. I know you're still angry with me and that it'll take me a while to regain your trust but I love you and I will work hard to regain that trust."

Sean heard his phone buzz, and he looked at it. Instead of texting back, he called her.

Emma answered, "Sean?"

"Yep."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes, I just wanted to call and say goodnight."

Emma smiled, "Oh?"

"Look, I am still angry about all the time I've missed with my child and I think I have a right to be angry about that."

"You definitely do."

"But we've wasted enough time, Em. We're back in each other's lives and we still love each other. So let's get to know each other again, let me get to know my son and let's see what happens."

"I think we got to know each other again pretty well tonight."

Sean laughed, "We did, yeah."

"But I know what you mean." She smiled, "And you're sure you want to come over tomorrow night?"

"Yes," Sean continued, "I don't think I can go another day without meeting my son."

"Okay."

"So I'll see you tomorrow night."

Emma replied, "Yes. Is 7:00 good for you?"

"Yep, 7:00 is perfect."

"Okay."

"Bye Em."

"Bye Sean."

Sean ended the call and closed his eyes. Emma took a deep breath, placed her phone on her nightstand and got under the covers.

* * *

Emma was nervous the entire day leading up to Sean's visit because when she got home from work she would tell her son he was finally meeting his father. She didn't tell Drew before school because she didn't want him distracted all day.

Drew was playing video games when Emma keyed into the house. "Hey, kiddo."

"Hey, mom."

"How was school?"

"It was school."

Emma laughed at how much he was turning into teenage Sean. "Oh, okay."

She hung up her coat and turned back toward him. "When did Grandma leave?"

"10 minutes ago."

"Okay." She walked over to the couch and said, "Can you stop playing for a few minutes? I have to discuss something with you."

Drew rolled his eyes and said, "Uh oh. What did I do now?"

"You have done nothing wrong."

Drew furrowed his brows and said, "Okay, so why are you acting weird?"

Emma sat down next to him, "Your father is coming over tonight."

"Really?" Emma nodded. "Why?"

"Because he wants to meet you."

"Why now? It's been nearly 14 years."

"Andrew," She took a deep breath, "You know he didn't know about you."

Drew didn't respond.

"And he only just found out about you two days ago."

He asked, "So how come you never told him?"

Emma sighed, "It's a long and complicated story."

"And how come you told him now?"

"I didn't, actually. He found out on his own. He was the person at the door the other night."

"He's the one who made you cry?"

"He was angry, Drew. And he has every right to be angry with me."

Drew looked at her and asked, "So is he okay with having a kid?"

Emma nodded and smiled, "Yes. He's thrilled to have a kid. The reason he's coming over tonight is that he couldn't wait to meet you." He looked at her and she asked, "Do you have questions about him?"

"What does he do?"

"He fixes and customizes cars."

"Oh yeah?" That piqued Drew's interest. Emma nodded. "That's pretty cool."

"He's always loved fixing cars. He's been doing it since he was your age. He even has his own shop."

"So now that he's in my life, does it mean that I have to stay with him on weekends or something?"

Emma smiled, "Let's not rush into things. Though I will say, he just bid on a nice apartment that overlooks the lake and if you were to stay there, you would probably love it."

Drew nodded. "So when's he coming?"

"He'll be here at 7:00."

"Are we having dinner together?"

"Yes," Emma stood up, "I will cook something."

Drew wrinkled his nose, "Oh no, is it going to be something vegetarian?"

"Not for you or for Sean but for me, yes."

"His name's Sean?"

Emma nodded. "Yes. I can't believe I hadn't told you his name yet. His full name is Sean Cameron."

"My middle name is his last name?"

"Yep."

"Cool. Now I know why."

Emma smiled.

"Should I get dressed up?"

Emma shook her head, "Don't go too crazy. Your dad isn't a very formal guy."

"Okay."

She looked at her son and asked, "So how are you feeling about this?"

He shrugged, "I'm okay, I guess."

"Because you know you can tell me anything."

Drew looked at her. "I just don't understand why you kept him from me."

"Because sometimes people make stupid mistakes, and I believed it would be better for both of you."

"Better for us to not know each other?"

"I wasn't thinking straight, Drew. And the longer the secret went on, the easier it was to keep it."

Drew looked down at his feet and quietly asked, "Did you guys love each other when you made me?"

Emma smiled, "We've always loved each other."

"Do you still love each other?"

Emma nodded, "We'll probably always love each other."

"So why aren't you together?"

"We just saw each other again for the first time in over 13 years. We can't fall right back into how it was when we were younger." Emma was lying through her teeth because that's exactly what's happened so far.

Drew looked confused, "So if you still love each other, get back together so we can be a family."

Emma sighed, "Oh, I wish it were that simple, sweetie."

"Well, today is Valentine's Day. Maybe that means something."

Emma laughed, "Is it? I didn't even realize."

Drew nodded, "Yeah. People were walking around with roses at school all day."

"Did you buy a rose for anyone?"

Drew scoffed, "No."

Emma smiled at his answer and at how much he looked and sounded like Sean when he said it. She asked, "Did anyone buy a rose for you?"

Drew looked at his mom, "Somebody left one on my locker."

Emma's eyes lit up, "You have a secret admirer?"

He rolled his eyes, "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

Emma nodded, "Yes, I am." She stood up, "Okay, I will change and then cook some dinner."

"Okay."

Emma walked over to the stairs and looked at her son, "So are you sure you're okay with this?"

Drew nodded, "Yep."

"Good."

Emma walked up the stairs and took a deep breath.


	6. Chapter 6

Sean pulled up to Emma's house at 6:55, and he was nervous. He had been nervous all day. He even snapped at one of his best workers, Pete. Sean apologized profusely and told him he had something important to do and that he was letting his nerves get the best of him.

Sean gathered everything he brought with him and took a deep breath. He had stopped off at a florist and picked up some flowers for Emma. He didn't even realize it was Valentine's Day until one of his workers told Sean his plans for the night. Sean also bought something for Drew—a headset for playing video games. And he bought a cheesecake for dessert. Sean waited in his truck until 7:03 because he didn't want to seem too anxious even though he felt as if he was jumping out of his skin. Sean would meet his son. The son he only found out about two days ago.

He rang the doorbell and heard Emma yell out, "Be right there!" Sean took a deep breath and Emma opened the door. She smiled at him, "Hi, come on in."

"Hi." He walked into the entryway and handed her the flowers. "Happy Valentine's Day."

Emma smiled, "Thank you." She kissed his cheek and smiled at him. "They're beautiful. Here, let me take your coat." Sean took off his coat and handed it to her. She looked down at the bag he was carrying and asked, "What's all that?"

"I bought something for Andrew and I brought some dessert. A cheesecake, I hope that's okay."

"How thoughtful of you." She hung up his coat then turned toward the stairs, "He's upstairs in his room."

Sean looked around and took a deep breath, "I'm nervous and I'm afraid he will hate me."

"He won't hate you. Come on inside. I'll get him."

Sean nodded and took the flowers from her.

Emma walked up the stairs and knocked on Drew's room, "Hey, kiddo." She opened the door, and Drew was still figuring out what to wear.

Drew asked, "He's here?"

"Yep, he's downstairs." Emma smiled, "You didn't hear the doorbell?"

"No. I guess I'm nervous." He asked, "Do I look okay?" He was wearing a red polo shirt with white stripes and dark blue jeans.

Emma nodded, "Andrew, you look great and just so you know, your father is more nervous than you are."

"Really?"

She nodded again. She walked back into the hall, "Come down when you're ready."

He nodded, "I'll be down in like two minutes."

"Okay."

Emma walked down the stairs and into the living room. Sean was looking around and she said, "You can sit."

"I'm too nervous to sit." Sean handed the flowers back to Emma.

"Would you like something to drink?"

"Just water, thanks."

Sean followed Emma to the kitchen and looked around, "This is a nice place, Em."

"Thanks." Emma grabbed a vase and rinsed it in the sink, "It's not as nice as your new place."

He smiled, took out the dessert he bought and placed it on her kitchen island.

She looked past Sean and said, "Hey, kiddo."

Sean took a deep breath, turned around and looked at his son. He felt a flood of emotions as the boy walked toward him and couldn't believe the resemblance. Sean smiled and said, "Hello, Andrew."

Drew walked toward the kitchen and looked at his dad, also shocked at the resemblance. "You can call me Drew." They shook hands.

"Okay, Drew." He lifted his left hand and said, "Um, this is for you." He handed the bag to Drew.

"Thanks." Drew put the bag on the dining room table, looked in the bag and gasped, "Oh my gosh, are you serious?"

Sean said, "If you have them already, I can get you something else."

"No. These are great." He pulled out the box, and Emma looked at it.

"Wow, you've wanted those headphones for a while."

Sean looked at Emma then at Drew and asked, "Is there a reason you haven't bought them?"

She looked at Sean and said, "Yes, but you know what?" She turned to Drew and said, "You got two great exam grades this week so think of this as your reward for them."

"Thanks so much, mom!"

"Don't thank me. Thank Sean."

Drew looked at Sean.

Sean joked, "Don't worry, you don't have to hug me or anything. I can't even imagine how strange this is for you."

Drew smiled, "Thank you for these headphones. I can't wait to use them."

"You're welcome."

Emma smiled.

* * *

During dinner, Sean looked at his son and asked, "So, you're not a vegetarian like your mom?"

"Ugh, no."

Sean laughed.

Emma turned and asked Sean, "Excuse me, but what's so funny?"

Sean shook his head and said, "Oh nothing."

She nodded, "Uh-huh."

Drew looked at his parents. "So how did you meet?"

Emma smiled, "We met in your grandpa's Media Immersion class in seventh grade."

Sean added, "My second attempt at seventh grade."

"You repeated the seventh grade?"

Sean nodded. "Long story, but if I hadn't, I wouldn't have gotten to know your mom as well as I did."

Emma agreed, "That's true. I would have been a weird seventh-grader with badly crimped hair who crushed on you from afar and you would have been all over your fellow eighth-grade classmates."

Drew asked, "Crimped hair?"

Emma laughed, "I had a habit of doing weird things with my hair back then."

Sean looked at her and said, "It was like that on our first date."

Emma shook her head, "Our disastrous first date."

"You dated in seventh grade?"

Both Sean and Emma nodded.

Drew shook his head, "I can't believe you guys met at Degrassi. Grandma and Grandpa met at Degrassi."

"Who knows?" Emma grinned and said, "You may have already met your future wife."

Drew shook his head and said, "Nope. No way."

"Maybe she's the one who left the rose on your locker."

Sean asked, "Someone left a rose on your locker?"

Drew rolled his eyes, "Thanks, mom."

Sean laughed and took a sip of his drink.

"It was there when I was coming back from lunch."

Sean asked, "Were you happy about it?"

Drew shook his head, "No. It was embarrassing." He looked at Emma. "Oliver made fun of me for the rest of the day."

"Oliver was probably jealous," Emma asked, "Did he get a rose?"

"No."

Sean asked, "Is Oliver your best friend?"

Drew nodded.

"That's what best friends do. Who knows, maybe next week you'll have something to make fun of him about."

Drew said, "I hope so because he was really annoying today."

* * *

Dinner actually went well. Sean was getting to know his son and Emma watched as the two of them bonded. After they finished eating, Drew took Sean upstairs to show him his room.

Sean looked around and said, "Wow, this is a cool room, Drew."

"Thanks. So mom told me you fix cars?"

Sean nodded, "I do."

"What kinds of cars?"

"All kinds. We also customize cars and mod them."

"Oh yeah?"

Sean nodded, "Yep. I recently customized Kyle Lowry's car."

Drew's face lit up, "Kyle Lowry? Are you serious?"

"Yep." Sean looked at the walls in his son's room and noticed a lot of Raptors and Blue Jays posters and pictures, "I see you like the Raptors."

"Heck yes."

"Well, maybe we can go to a game sometime."

"I would love to."

"I mean we should check with your mom first, of course."

Drew nodded, "Yeah."

"But if she says yes, I would love to take you."

"That would be so cool."

"Good." Sean smiled at his son. "So do you like school?"

"Not really."

Sean smiled, "Yeah, I didn't like it either. Your mom used to help me study."

"Oh yeah?"

Sean nodded. "The only thing I liked about it, besides your mom, was shop class."

"So when did you fall in love with mom?"

Sean didn't hesitate and said, "Seventh grade."

Drew looked skeptical, "You knew you were in love with her in seventh grade?"

"No, but looking back now, I realize that's when it happened."

"Wow."

"Yeah." Sean looked at his son and said, "So, no girls yet?"

Drew shrugged, "Girls seem to like me, but no one's really caught my eye yet. I've also known most of them since kindergarten."

Sean nodded. "Things will change for you soon. Some of those girls will show up at the start of the school year in the fall and they'll look different, older. You don't have to rush anything. You are only 13."

"I'll be 14 soon."

"True." Sean asked, "So you're not even curious about who gave you the rose?"

"I think I know who did it."

"Oh?"

Drew nodded.

"But you don't like her like that."

Drew shook his head.

Emma peeked into the room, "Everything okay in here?"

Sean nodded.

Drew looked at his mom, "Yep. Everything's great."

* * *

At 9:30, Drew looked at his parents and said, "I'm kind of beat. I'm going to bed."

Emma looked shocked, "Really?"

Drew nodded. He walked over to her and hugged her goodnight. "Goodnight, mom."

"Goodnight, kiddo."

Drew walked over to Sean and Sean stood up. He held out his hand, and Sean shook it. "Goodnight. And thanks again for the headphones."

Sean smiled and said, "You're welcome. Sleep well."

"Thanks."

Sean watched Drew walk up the stairs and he felt tears welling up in his eyes. "He's amazing, Em."

Emma smiled. "He was well-behaved tonight."

"Oh?"

She nodded, "But maybe this will help him."

"What? Me?"

"Yes. I haven't seen him this happy in a while."

"He's so much like me. It's uncanny."

"I told you."

He wiped the tears off his face. "I just can't get over it." He sat down on the couch and tipped his head back. "I really can't believe I'm a dad."

Emma joined him, placed her hand on his chest, but said nothing.

He looked at her, "I'm glad I came over tonight."

"So am I."

He looked at her and said, "I know I should still be angry with you but I'm just so happy to have this chance to get to know him." Emma nodded. "And I want to get to know him better. If he wants that."

"I think he does."

He smiled and said, "Good."

* * *

When Sean got home, he flashed back to the night they conceived Drew. He had just had a heart to heart with Archie about how scared he was to go to Afghanistan, and he was lying awake in the dark in the Simpson living room. Emma had gone out and Sean hadn't really seen her that weekend. He understood why. She had moved on with her life and was gearing up for prom and graduation.

As he was lying there, on the pull-out couch, he heard the basement door open. He figured Emma was getting something to eat or drink. Suddenly she was standing right next to him. "Em?"

"Shhh." She held out her hand.

Sean sat up and whispered, "What are you doing here?"

"Come with me."

Sean followed Emma down to her room and asked, "What are we doing down here Em?" Emma turned back toward him, leaned forward and was about to kiss him when Sean asked, "Whoa, what about your boyfriend?"

"Don't worry about him." Emma started kissing him, and Sean kissed her back. There were two things going through Sean's head as they kissed. One was that he still loved Emma and probably always would, and the other was that he was afraid he would die in Afghanistan. Those two things made it easy for him to give in to Emma's advances that night and not care that he was helping her cheat on Damien.

After they made out a little while on Emma's bed, Emma started tugging at his shorts. Sean stopped her and asked, "Are you sure about this?"

Emma nodded, "Yes. I want to be with you tonight, Sean."

Sean was so happy to be with her one last time, and they made love quietly in the Simpson-Nelson basement.

Afterward, Sean held Emma for a while and they said nothing. They didn't really have to. This was their goodbye. Sean sneaked out later that night while Emma was sleeping and they both acted as if nothing happened the next morning when Sean left, but he carried that memory with him to Afghanistan. What he didn't realize at the time was that it was much more than just a pleasant memory for him and Emma. They created a life that night. A life Emma carried and birthed. A life she's raised on her own until now.


	7. Chapter 7

The following weekend, Emma was cooking breakfast for herself when she heard footsteps upstairs. She checked the time and couldn't believe it. Weekends were Drew's time to catch up on sleep and if he woke up before 11, it was a minor miracle so when he walked down the stairs and into the kitchen at 9:45, Emma nearly fell over. Then, after grabbing some orange juice, Drew kissed his mother on the cheek and she asked, "Um, Andrew, are you feeling okay?"

"I'm great, mom."

He sat at the kitchen island and Emma said, "You're up early today."

"I know. I couldn't fall back to sleep."

Emma nodded and asked, "So are you glad you met your dad and that you have been able to hang out a few times?"

Drew nodded and said, "Yes. I like him. He's pretty cool."

"Good."

"And he seems to love you a lot."

Emma looked at her son, "Oh? You think so."

Drew nodded. "And you seem happier now that he's back in your life."

"You're very astute."

"You two should probably get married."

"Let's not rush things, Drew. Your father and I were last together when we were 18 and 19. A lot can change."

"But if you love each other, it shouldn't matter."

"How did you become so wise?" Drew shrugged. She asked, "So what's your plan for the day?"

"Playing video games."

"That's all?"

"That's all."

She smiled and said, "Okay, fine. I'll allow it." A few seconds later, Emma's phone rang, and she looked at it. "Oh, it's your dad." She answered the phone and said, "Were your ears just burning?"

Sean laughed and said, "No, why? Were you talking about me?"

"Yes, but it was nothing but good things, I promise."

Sean smiled, "Oh good. I know it's kind of last-minute but are you and Drew busy tonight?"

"No, we're not busy. Why?"

"I got three tickets to the Raptors game tonight."

"Oh really?"

"Yep. Do you think you two would like to join me? I figured it could be an early birthday present for him."

"Hold on. Let me ask our son." Emma looked at Drew, "Feel up to going to the Raptors game tonight?"

He yelled, "Yes!"

Sean laughed.

Emma asked, "Did you hear that?"

"I did. How about I come by your place at 5? I'll pick you two up, we can eat an early dinner by the arena then go to the game."

"Sounds perfect."

"Cool, so I'll see you then."

"Okay."

"Bye."

Drew was very excited, "Can I brag to my friends about my cool dad?" Emma laughed. "I'm serious."

"If you feel comfortable doing it."

Drew nodded and smiled, "I'm so excited about this game."

Emma smiled. "Good, I'm glad."

* * *

Sean wanted to impress his son for his birthday so he got in touch with Kyle Lowry, who hooked him up with three courtside seats and passes so they could hang out by the Raptors' locker room after the game. Sean would not tell Drew about any of this until they were taken to their seats.

Sean arrived right at 5 and both Emma and Drew were ready.

"Oh hi," He smiled, "I wasn't expecting you to be ready on time." He winked at Emma.

"You know me so well."

"So I was thinking we can go to The Fox which is right near the arena and then head into the game."

Emma nodded, "Sounds good to me." She looked at Drew, "Sound good to you?"

Drew nodded.

Sean said, "Great!" They walked out of the house, Emma locked the door and Sean escorted them to his truck.

Drew looked around and asked, "This is yours?"

Sean smiled, "Yep."

"Wow. Cool." Sean bought an old school, Chevy Blazer, from the early '90s and fixed it up.

Emma looked at Drew, "You can sit in the front with your dad."

"Yeah?"

"Sure. I'll sit in the back."

Drew smiled and said, "Okay!"

They all got into the truck and Sean turned to his son, "Seatbelt."

"Yeah." Drew put it on. "This is so cool." He looked around at everything.

"Thanks." Sean started the ignition and asked, "So are we ready?"

Emma and Drew answered, "Yes," in unison, and Sean pulled out of his parking space.

* * *

When they walked into the restaurant, Sean felt proud to be with his son and the mother of his child.

They sat down in a booth, and Emma instinctively grabbed Sean's hand.

He looked at her, and she pulled it away. "Sorry, habit, I guess."

"It's fine." He grabbed her hand and rubbed it with his thumb. He looked at Drew who was looking at the menu and asked, "So how are the headphones?"

"They're awesome! Thanks again."

"You're welcome." Sean smiled at Emma.

"Sean? Emma?"

They both looked up at the sound of their names, and Liberty Van Zandt was standing next to their table.

Emma gasped, "Liberty! Oh my gosh!" She stood up and hugged her, "It's so good to see you!"

"Good to see you too."

Sean also stood up and hugged Liberty.

Liberty looked at Sean and said, "Sean, it's great to see you."

"You too, Liberty."

Emma held her hand out in Drew's direction, "This is Andrew. You haven't seen him in a while."

Drew said, "Hi."

Liberty looked at him, "Hi, Andrew." She turned to Sean and smiled, "Wow, he's the spitting image of you, Sean."

Sean smiled. "I know."

She asked, "So are you guys back together?"

Emma looked at Sean who said, "We're getting to know each other again."

"Good. Invite me to the wedding."

Emma laughed, "What are you up to Lib?"

"I'm a lawyer. So is my husband."

"Oh?"

Liberty nodded, "I deal with family adoption law." Emma smiled. "We'll all have to go out to dinner sometime."

Sean agreed, "Definitely. That would be great."

"Okay, well, I won't keep you but let's exchange numbers and we'll set something up."

Emma nodded, "Yes." She exchanged numbers with Liberty, and they hugged again.

Emma and Sean sat back down, and Drew looked at them. "See? Everyone else thinks you two should get married." Sean smiled. "So get married."

Emma shook her head then asked, "Do you know what you want for dinner?"

Drew nodded and said, "Yes, I want wings."

Sean laughed and said, "Good choice. Let's order enough for two."

Emma shook her head again.

Drew said, "Sorry, mom."

"Yeah, sorry mom." Sean placed his hand on hers again. Emma smiled at him and leaned into his shoulder.

* * *

When they arrived at the arena, Sean headed to the will-call window.

"I'm just going to pick up the tickets. I'll be right back."

"Okay." Emma stood with Drew and watched Sean get the tickets.

Sean went up to the window, "The name is Sean Cameron."

The girl at the window looked through her envelopes and smiled, "Here you go. Here are the tickets and there are passes for you to wear around your neck."

"Great, thanks." Sean headed back over to Emma and Drew. "Ready?" They both nodded, "Let's go."

An usher walked them to their seats, and Drew's mouth dropped. Emma also looked around in shock. "Oh my God Sean, this is incredible."

Sean smiled. "I have connections."

They sat down, Emma and Sean were on either side of Drew. Within seconds, Drew started smacking his mother's arm.

Emma laughed, "Andrew! What is the matter?"

"Drake is right there!"

Emma and Sean both looked across the court and Drake was there with a friend. Emma laughed and said, "Don't point at him!"

Drew turned to Sean and said, "Dad, these seats are so cool."

Sean was taken aback by how easily that came out of Drew's mouth while Emma's eyes teared up.

Drew asked, "It's okay that I called you that, right?"

"Of course, buddy." Sean put his arm around his son, "Of course."

A few minutes later, Kyle Lowry walked over, "Sean!"

"Hey man," Sean stood up to greet him and they shook hands, "Thanks for these seats. They're incredible."

"My pleasure. Anytime."

"Oh," Sean looked down at Drew who was sitting with his mouth wide open, "This is my son, Andrew."

"Hey Andrew," Lowry extended his hand, Drew stood up and shook it, "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too."

"Man, he's your clone."

Sean laughed, "Yeah, I know. And this is Emma, Drew's mom."

She held out her hand, "Hi."

"Hello," They shook hands, and he looked at Sean, "If you all come by after the game, we can get a bunch of autographs for you, Andrew."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"Thank you!"

"Not a problem."

Lowry looked at Sean and said, "By the way, I may have a new client for you."

"Oh?" Sean looked at him and Lowry motioned toward Drake. Sean was taken aback for the second time in a few minutes, "Are you serious?"

Lowry nodded, "He saw my whip and had to know who worked on it."

"Wow, I don't even know what to say."

"I just wanted to give you a heads up in case you get a call from him or his assistant. I didn't want you to think it was a prank or anything."

Sean nodded, "Sure."

Lowry looked back at the court, "Well, I gotta get ready for the game," He looked at Drew, "We'll try to win this one for you tonight."

Drew couldn't even say anything, he just nodded.

Sean smiled, "Thanks, man. We'll see you after the game."

"You got it."

Lowry walked away and Drew was still standing there with his mouth agape. Sean looked at his son and asked, "You okay, buddy?"

Drew just started nodding.

Emma laughed, "Oh yeah, he's perfectly fine." Emma looked at Sean, "And you?"

Sean said, "I'm…" He shook his head, "I don't even know how I am." He looked across the court at Drake then looked at Emma, "Doesn't Drake look a lot like Jimmy Brooks?"

Emma looked and nodded, "Oh my God, you're right!"

* * *

At halftime, Emma moved over to sit next to Sean and she held his hand, "Thank you for this."

"You're welcome."

"He's thrilled."

Sean looked at Drew who was standing up and looking around the arena in awe and smiled.

Emma said, "You made his life."

"Well, he's made my life."

Emma nodded. She looked at her son, then back at Sean, "I will make it up to you for the rest of my life. I promise."

"Are you saying you want to spend your life with me?"

Emma smiled, "We need to get to know each other again, but I love what I've seen so far. You've become an incredible man, Sean."

"Thank you." He kissed her hand and said, "That means a lot."

Drew looked at his parents and said, "God, would you two just kiss already?"

Sean and Emma laughed.

"I'm serious. You obviously love each other so just kiss."

Emma looked at Drew, "You're 13 and the thought of your parents kissing should horrify you."

"This is different. You two haven't been together my whole life."

Sean looked at Emma, "Shall we?"

She smiled, and they kissed. After a few moments, Drew said, "Okay, that's enough."

Sean and Emma stopped and laughed. Sean held Emma's face in his hands. "Yeah, I think we'll be just fine."

* * *

After the game, a Raptors win on a last-second buzzer-beating three, Sean, Emma, and Drew made their way to the tunnel and waited outside the locker room.

"Dad, I can't believe we're here right now."

Sean smiled.

Emma agreed, "Me either. And what a win. I've never seen a game like that before."

Sean said, "You did one time in Degrassi."

Emma smiled, "Oh right when Jimmy nearly broke your ankle."

Sean laughed.

Drew said, "Our team sucks this year."

Sean asked Drew, "Do you play any sports?"

"I tried out for basketball but didn't make the cut. I was one of the last ones cut."

"So you're pretty good."

Drew shrugged, "I'm okay. How long did you play?"

Sean nodded, "Two years."

"Cool."

Sean smiled and nodded, "Yeah, it was cool."

Emma added, "Your dad was also a very good wrestler."

"Really?"

Sean shrugged, "I was okay."

Emma scoffed, "Okay, Mr. Champion."

"You were a champion?"

Sean smiled and looked at Emma, "My biggest cheerleader."

Kyle Lowry walked out of the locker room, "Hey, man."

Sean extended his hand, "What a game. Amazing."

"It was a good one, huh?"

Drew nodded.

Lowry held up a jersey that had a bunch of signatures. "This is for you, Andrew."

"What?" Drew looked at his parents then back at Lowry, "Really?"

"Yep."

"Wow, thank you!" Drew took the jersey and looked at it.

Sean shook Lowry's hand again, "Man, I don't know how to thank you."

"It's my pleasure. After what you did to my car?"

Sean smiled.

"Just so you know, Gasol may also stop into your shop in a few weeks to see you."

Sean did a double-take, "Really?"

"I hope that's okay."

"That's more than okay. Hell, I'd work on the entire teams' cars if they want."

"We may just hold you to that."

After a few moments, Lowry left and Drew was still staring at his jersey.

Emma put her arm around Drew and said, "Hey kiddo, are you ready to go home?"

He nodded.

Emma laughed, "Look at him. He can't stop looking at it."

Sean asked, "Can you blame him?"

"Honestly, no."


	8. Chapter 8

By the time Sean pulled up to Emma's house, Drew had passed out in the back seat. The excitement of the night exhausted him.

Emma smiled at Sean, "Thank you for one of the best nights of his life."

"It was my pleasure."

"Do you want to come in? I have to get this one upstairs."

"Sure," He shut off his truck. "I can help you."

"Great," Emma turned around, "Drew, sweetie. Wake up." He groaned. "Come on, baby. We're home now and you need to go to bed."

"Okay." He sat up with his eyes closed and his arms clutching his autographed jersey. Sean giggled at the sight of his son so groggy and out of it.

Emma and Sean got out of the truck and helped Andrew into the house.

When Drew got to the stairs, he said, "I got it from here."

Emma asked, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Goodnight mom. Goodnight dad."

Sean smiled, "Goodnight, buddy."

They watched Drew walk up the stairs with his jersey, and Emma smiled.

Sean said, "This was a good night."

"Yes, it was." Emma looked at him, "It's not over."

"Oh?"

Emma nodded and took him by the hand. Sean raised his eyebrow and asked, "Where are you taking me?"

"The basement."

Sean looked at her, "Oh? What's down there?"

"Another bedroom."

"Ohhh." He looked relieved.

"Don't worry, it's not a sex dungeon." She smiled at him and said, "Not yet anyway."

Sean laughed. They walked down the stairs and Sean looked around, "This is nice."

"It's definitely nicer than the last basement we made love in." Sean smiled at the reference. "I bought it this way so big thanks to the previous owner for watching lots of HGTV."

They walked through the finished basement toward the back of the house where there was a bedroom with a sliding glass walkout to a concrete patio that had stairs that led to the backyard.

"Wow, this is really nice, Em."

"Thank you." Emma sat at the foot of the bed and took off her shoes. "And thanks again for tonight. Drew was in awe of everything."

"It was my pleasure. I can't believe how good the game was." He sat down next to her.

"I can't believe you're friends with Kyle Lowry."

Sean said, "I just fixed up his car."

"You did more than that."

Sean smiled.

"I should probably get a large frame for that jersey so Drew can display it in his room."

Sean said, "I can do that."

"You've done a lot already."

"I have nearly 14 years to catch up on." Emma nodded. "That wasn't a dig."

"I know." Emma laid back on the bed.

"You look tired. I probably should go."

He was about to stand up when Emma grabbed his arm, "Please don't go."

Sean turned, smiled, leaned down and kissed her. Emma grabbed the back of his head and pulled him down so he was on top of her.

A few moments later, Emma pulled away and said, "I want you to make love to me tonight, Sean."

Sean nodded, and they kissed again.

* * *

"That was nice."

"Yes, it was." Emma rested her head on Sean's chest.

"But I have a question."

"Oh?"

Sean looked down at her and asked, "How come you dim the lights when we make love? You did it at my place and you did it here."

"I guess, I'm self-conscious about my body."

"Self-conscious about your body?" Sean scoffed, "Em, your body is gorgeous."

"Not anymore. Not with the c-section scar and stretch marks."

"First of all, that stuff is barely noticeable and secondly, you carried and gave birth to our child which makes all that stuff beautiful."

"Beautiful?" This time it was Emma who scoffed. "It's not beautiful."

Sean looked at her and nodded, "Yes, it is."

Emma asked, "Why are you like this?"

Sean laughed and asked, "Like what?"

"Perfect."

"Emma, I am nowhere near perfect."

She sat up, "But you always know the right thing to say."

He shrugged, "I don't know. I just say what comes to my mind. It's not like it's premeditated."

She smiled and kissed him.

"And I was serious, everything about you is beautiful so don't ever feel uncomfortable around me, okay?"

She nodded, "I'll try."

He kissed her and pulled away, "Good."

She asked, "Up for another round?"

Sean looked down, "Not yet, but I will be soon."

* * *

A little while later, Sean looked at Emma and said, "I should probably go soon."

Emma asked, "Why?"

"I don't want to shock Andrew. I know he seems to accept me, but this would probably be a lot for him to take in."

Emma nodded. "You're probably right."

"But I will say that I am really happy right now."

Emma smiled at him and said, "I love you so much." She raised herself up so she was face to face with him. "I've always loved you." She kissed him and said, "And I loved you the night we conceived our son."

"I was thinking about that."

"Oh yeah?"

He nodded, "I remember being surprised that you wanted to be with me. But also being thrilled that you wanted to be with me." He continued, "I didn't think I'd make it back from Afghanistan alive." Emma caressed his face, "I figured it would be the last time I was ever with someone."

"If I hadn't gotten pregnant, I probably would have kept our night together a secret."

He rubbed her arm, "You must have been terrified when you found out."

"I was, but I also knew it was your baby."

"So you didn't sleep with that Damien guy?"

"I did but only a couple of times and not that weekend."

Sean nodded.

"Then he cheated on me with Liberty during prom."

"What? Really?"

"Oh yes."

Sean was in shock. "Wait, you must tell me this story."

"Fine." Emma sat up against the headboard and made herself comfortable against the pillows while Sean leaned on his elbow looking up at her, "Apparently Liberty and Damien had a flirtation going on. One I had no idea about. And while a bunch of us were swimming in the hotel pool after Prom, Liberty and Damien were hooking up."

"So how did you find out?"

"Apparently Liberty and Damien bragged to Toby. Toby was Liberty's date, so I guess she thought he'd keep it a secret. Instead, Toby announced it to everyone. Spinner, Jane, Jimmy, _everyone_. It was really humiliating because apparently, I was the last to know. Even Manny knew."

"Ouch. I can't believe Liberty would do that to you."

"I guess I deserved it because I cheated on you with Damien. Then dumped you while you were away in basic training." She looked at him, "Wow, I was really horrible back then."

"Nah." He looked at her, "You were a teenager. We all do stupid things when we're young. I'm an expert on that, remember?"

"Anyway, I dumped Damien and salvaged my relationship with Liberty. Then I found out I was pregnant."

"That's a lot to deal with at one time."

"It was but there was no doubt in my mind that I would keep the baby because it meant I'd always have a part of you with me." Sean smiled. "I really can't believe how much he looks like you."

"I was taken aback when I first saw him. I couldn't believe it." Sean looked at her, "So how is he, really?"

"He has some behavioral issues, but I think it's because he didn't know you. It's tough growing up without a dad." Sean nodded, "I really believe that you coming back into our lives will be really good for him. His grades were already improving. He got an 82 and an 83 on his latest algebra and history exams. So next time may be even better."

Sean smiled, "That's good to hear."

Emma nodded.

"I just don't want to overwhelm him and jump right into full-time parenting so we'll take it slow."

"Okay."

"And we'll take this slow. Although it feels a little late for that now." Emma smiled. "But we need to get to know each other again."

Emma nodded. "Right."

He held her hand and said, "I want to take you out and spend time with you. And I also want to spend more time getting to know Drew."

Emma smiled.

Sean shook his head, "I still can't believe we have a son." Tears welled up in his eyes. "It's incredible."

Emma caressed his face and kissed him.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Sean got up out of the bed, "Okay, I really need to go."

Emma looked up at him.

He grabbed his clothes and got dressed while Emma watched. When he found his shoes, he sat on the foot of the bed and put them on. Emma climbed over and hugged him from behind. Sean smiled and held her arms. He said, "Thank you for tonight."

"I should be thanking you."

"Oh yeah?"

Emma smiled and said, "You made our son's year."

Sean asked, "And how about you?"

"You made my life."

He turned his head and kissed her nose. He got up, then leaned down to kiss her one more time. When he pulled away, he said, "I love you."

"I love you too."

"I can show myself out."

She smiled at him and said, "Okay."

"Goodnight, Em."

"Goodnight."

Emma watched as Sean walked out of the room and listened to him leave the house. She gathered the rest of her clothes, walked up the stairs from the basement to the main floor of the house and locked the front door.

* * *

Sean keyed into his apartment and got ready for bed. He didn't shower, he just brushed his teeth. He didn't want to wash Emma off him. Not yet. He'd wait until the morning.


	9. Chapter 9

At 11:30 am the next morning, Emma knocked on Drew's door. "Are you alive in there?" Drew didn't answer, so Emma opened the door and she giggled at the sight of him still sleeping with the signed Raptors jersey across his chest. "Psssst, kiddo. It's time to wake up."

He groaned.

Emma started picking up around his room, which wasn't too messy for a teenage boy, "Drew, it's nearly noon. You need to get up."

"Ugh, fine."

Emma asked, "Do you want anything to eat?"

"I can grab some cereal or something."

"Okay."

Drew asked, "Is dad still here?"

"No, he went home."

"Oh."

Emma smiled and asked, "Why do you ask?"

He sat up and stretched, "I just assumed he would stay over."

Emma looked shocked, "Oh really."

"Mom, I know all about sex."

Emma laughed, "Oh you do, do you?"

"Yes. You had sex with him and made me."

Emma nodded, "Yes, that's true."

"And you love each other."

"Also true."

"So why can't you two just be together? I don't get it."

Emma sat down next to him and put her hand on Drew's. "It's because we want to take things slow. We need to get to know each other again. And your father wants to get to know you too. He doesn't want to overwhelm you."

Drew nodded.

"It's a lot for him. He still needs to forgive me for keeping you from him and he has to get used to having a child."

"He doesn't forgive you?"

"Not completely. Because of me, he missed your entire childhood. He didn't get to see you take your first steps or hear you say your first word. He didn't see you off on your first day of school or take you to the ER when you got your first stitches."

Drew looked at his mom. "Wow, you really screwed up, mom."

Emma laughed, "I did."

"But he still loves you anyway."

Emma stood up. "Give me that jersey." Drew handed it over, "Your dad will get you a frame for this so you can display it."

"Oh cool. Is he coming over today?"

"I don't know what he's doing today." She put the jersey on his dresser.

"Call him and find out."

Emma smiled, "Okay, I will." She walked over to his door, "Now get up."

* * *

Sean woke up early, went for a jog, and when he got back to his place, he finally took a shower. On Sundays, his shop was closed, and they were the days when he could decompress and forget about work. After his shower, he was ready to relax on his couch and watch mindless TV all day, then his phone buzzed. It was Emma, and he answered it right away.

"Hey. Is everything okay?"

"Yes. Everything's great."

"Good. What's going on?"

"Your son wants you to come over."

"He does?"

"Yes, it was one of his first questions this morning. After he asked if you slept over."

Sean laughed, "He really asked about that?"

"Yes. Drew informed me that he knows all about sex and how it wouldn't bother him if we had sex again."

"Oh my God." Sean shook his head.

Emma laughed, "Yeah, he's quite a kid."

"I love it." Sean stood up, "I can come over."

"I'd love that. So would our son." Emma added, "Sunday is our hanging around the house day so it's really casual."

"Sounds good to me. Would you want me to bring some lunch?"

"Sure, that would be great."

Sean asked, "How about some Chinese food? Does Drew eat it?"

"He does. Nothing too complicated. Just get him lo mein noodles with no meat."

"Okay, and what would you like?"

"Just get me Chinese vegetables with rice. Oh, and some vegetable dumplings."

"Fried or steamed?"

"Let's be bad and do fried."

Sean smiled, "You got it. Do you want any drinks?"

"We have plenty here."

"Great. So I'll see you soon."

"Perfect. Bye."

Sean hung up and breathed a sigh of relief.

Emma walked upstairs and peeked her head into Drew's room, "Hey, kiddo. Your dad is bringing over some lunch."

Drew turned toward her in his desk chair and said, "Oh yeah? It's a good thing I didn't bother eating breakfast." He smiled at her, and she couldn't help but giggle.

"He will be here in a little while so get dressed, please, and come downstairs."

"Okay."

* * *

About half an hour later, the doorbell rang, and Emma walked down the stairs to answer it. She opened the door expecting Sean, but it was her parents.

They both said, "Surprise!"

Emma smiled and said, "Hey! What are you guys doing here?"

Christine said, "We brought you lunch."

"Oh," She let them in, "That's funny. We were already having lunch brought over."

Christine looked puzzled, "Oh yeah?"

Emma nodded, "Sean's on his way."

Archie looked at her, "Sean? Cameron?"

Emma nodded again, "Yes, Andrew's father."

"He's back?"

"He's been back."

Christine made a face and Archie asked, "You knew?"

"I've only known for like a week or two."

Emma looked at Archie, "We're getting to know each other again and he's getting to know Drew."

"And?"

"So far so good."

Archie smiled, "Good."

Emma waved them in, "Well, come on in. The more the merrier."

Archie asked, "What's Sean bringing over?"

"Some Chinese food."

Christine held up her bag of food, "So did we."

Emma smiled and walked her into the kitchen. Archie hung up their coats and followed them.

Just then, Drew came jogging down the stairs and asked, "Is dad here yet?" Archie turned to him and Drew said, "Oh, it's just you guys."

Christine laughed at her grandson and said, "Don't get too excited, Andrew."

"Sorry. I was just expecting my dad."

Emma said, "Don't worry. He's on his way." Right on cue, the doorbell rang. "See? There he is now."

Drew yelled out, "I'll get it!" He walked over to the door, opened it, and Sean was standing there with two bags.

"Hey, buddy."

"Come in!" Drew let his father into the house and shut the door.

Sean walked in and smiled when he saw Archie and Christine. He set the bags down on the floor and said, "It's good to see you."

"Hey there, Sean." Archie walked over and shook his hand.

Christine walked up to him and hugged him, "It's so good to see you, Sean." She pulled away and grabbed his face, "You're as handsome as ever."

Sean laughed, "It's good to see you too."

Emma looked at Sean, "Mom and dad surprised us with Chinese food of all things."

"That's great." He picked up his bags and said, "I'm down for eating as much Chinese food as possible today."

Archie pat him on the back as they walked toward the kitchen.

"Hey grandpa, I have to show you something!"

Drew ran upstairs and Archie looked at Sean and Emma, "This is a good something, yes?"

Emma smiled, "It's a very good something."

After a few moments, Drew ran back down the stairs and over to his grandpa. "Look!"

Archie looked shocked, "Wow!" He inspected the jersey, "Did they all sign this?"

"Yep! Kyle Lowry gave it to me!"

"This is amazing. How did this happen?"

Emma stood next to Sean and said, "This one fixed Lowry's car."

"Actually, I customized it for him and he liked it so much that he got us great seats last night."

"Grandpa we were on the court and saw Drake and dad's going to fix up Drake's car too!"

"Well," Sean said, "I was told that he saw Lowry's car and is thinking about calling me."

Archie smiled, "That must have been an incredible night."

Drew said, "It was! And after the game, we were waiting outside the locker room and then Lowry walked outside with the jersey!"

Sean nodded, "I will go out this week and get a big frame so Drew can hang it in his room."

"Forget my room. I want it in the living room."

Emma laughed, "I don't know about that, kiddo."

"Oh come on!"

"We'll discuss it."

"Fine."

Emma put a bunch of plates and forks on the kitchen table for everyone to use. "Well, help yourselves, everyone."

Once everyone got their food, they sat in the living room. Sean and Emma sat next to each other on the couch, Drew was on the floor by Sean's legs and Archie and Christine sat in the loveseat together.

Christine looked at Sean and Emma, "So, Sean, it must have been strange for you to see Drew. He's your clone."

"It was. I'm just glad he has his mom's height and not mine."

Emma laughed, "Oh stop. You act like you're tiny and you're not."

Sean bumped his shoulder into hers.

Drew looked at his parents then asked, "Grandpa, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, kiddo. What's up?"

"If two people love each other, shouldn't they be together?"

Archie looked at Sean and Emma and then at Drew. "Usually, yes."

"Because it's obvious mom and dad love each other so they should be together."

Emma shook her head, and Sean laughed.

Archie said, "Well, I think your mom and dad definitely love each other and they always have. I also think they will probably end up together eventually, but they need to take their time."

Drew rolled his eyes and said, "Fine."

Archie laughed and looked at Sean, "It really is uncanny."

Sean laughed, "I know."

* * *

After they finished lunch, Drew asked, "Can I go upstairs now?"

Emma nodded, "Yes, you can." Drew was about to run upstairs when Emma stopped him, "Excuse me, young man. Shouldn't you be thanking your dad and grandparents for lunch?"

Drew looked at everyone and said, "Thanks for lunch." Then he asked, "Can I go now?"

"Yes."

Drew jogged upstairs and Sean shook his head, "Okay, it really is like looking in a mirror."

Emma laughed and leaned against him.

Christine looked at them and said, "It's clear you love each other. You always have."

Emma nodded, "We do." She looked at Sean, "But I did a terrible thing and I have to earn Sean's forgiveness." Sean grabbed her hand and kissed it. "And I have to make up for what I did."

"Look, I'm here now and I'm getting to know my son." He kept a grip on Emma's hand, "Em and I want to be together but we don't want to rush things. We want to get to know each other again. There's a big difference between being teenagers and being in our 30s."

"Well, if you need me to stay here with Drew while you two go out and get to know each other again, let me know."

Emma smiled, "I'll probably take you up on that offer, mom."

"Please do."

* * *

When Archie and Christine left, Sean and Emma stayed on the couch together.

"Today was nice."

Emma nodded, "It was."

Sean laced his fingers with Emma's and leaned his head against hers. "I forgive you."

She turned and looked at him, "You do?"

He nodded. "Why hold on to anger and resentment? I want to get to know our son, I want to get to know you again, and I would love for us to be a family."

She grabbed his face and kissed him. After a few moments, they pulled away, smiling. Emma said, "You are amazing."

"At kissing?" Sean smiled.

"You were always good at that. But I mean just as a person. You really grew up."

"I had to. The Army beat the smartass punky kid out of me." Emma caressed his face. "In the long run, it was good for me." Emma nodded. "And I wouldn't have my business without it."

"I'm really so proud of you."

"Thank you. That means a lot."

Emma asked, 'Wanna watch some TV?"

"Not really."

"Oh," She smiled and asked, "Wanna make out?"

"Now you're talking."

Emma laughed.

"Should we go downstairs?"

Emma pulled on the collar of his shirt and said, "If we go down there, we will definitely do more than make out."

Sean raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, better not with the kid upstairs still awake."

They made out for close to 20 minutes before they were interrupted by Drew making his way downstairs. They pulled away in time but looked disheveled and Drew smiled. "What were you doing?"

Emma shook her head, "We were just watching TV."

Drew looked at the TV and looked at them, "Oh yeah? Why isn't the TV on?"

Emma couldn't come up with an answer.

Drew walked toward the kitchen, "I just needed a drink."

"Did you finish all of your homework for tomorrow?"

"Yes, I did."

Emma looked at him, "So if I check it in a few minutes it will be done?"

Drew stopped walking and nodded, "Yes."

Emma narrowed her eyes at her son. "Okay, I'll be up in a few minutes to check."

"Fine." Drew walked into the kitchen to get his drink and Sean giggled at his son.

"He's too much like me."

Drew walked back over to them and asked, "Why can't dad check my homework?"

"Because your dad doesn't have the same checklist that I have."

"Fine." He walked towards the stairs and said, "You guys can make out again." And jogged upstairs.

Emma shook her head.

"So he has issues with his homework."

Emma nodded, "And with getting detention."

"Oh boy. Sounds familiar."

"He's really not a bad kid. He was angry but I think you being here will help a lot."

"Good."

"So if you want to come upstairs with me, you can."

"Are you sure?"

"Hey, he wanted you to check it too." Emma stood up and held out her hand.

"Okay." Sean stood up and grabbed her hand.

They walked upstairs and Emma knocked on Drew's door. "Can we come in, kiddo?"

"Yeah."

Emma opened the door, and Drew was sitting at his desk. She walked over, and he opened his binder. Sean stayed by the door.

"Dad, you can come in too."

Sean nodded, "Okay." He stepped into the room and walked over to Drew's desk.

Emma looked through everything. "Looks good."

"Yeah?"

She nodded, "I'm proud of you. You're turning things around."

"Thanks."

"Really. Nice job. Grandpa will also be proud of you."

Drew started blushing. "Okay, okay." Emma rubbed his hair and messed it up. "Mom!"

Sean laughed. "I don't like people messing with my hair either."

"The universe blessed both of you with fantastic heads of hair." Emma reached for Sean's head and he ducked.

"Watch it."

Drew asked, "Dad, are you going to stay for dinner too?"

"Um, we hadn't talked about it but I will if you want me to."

"Can he, mom?"

Emma looked at Sean and said, "Of course he can."

Sean smiled at Emma, and she tried to mess up his hair again. This time Sean grabbed her wrist, "Are you sure you really want to do that?"

Emma squealed, "I'm sorry."

"Are you really sorry?" She nodded and laughed. Sean let go of her. "Let's leave our son alone. He doesn't want his lame parents in his room."

Drew laughed.

Emma said, "Fine. Any idea what you want for dinner?"

"Can we do pizza?"

"After all that Chinese food you want pizza?"

"I'm a growing boy."

Emma looked at Sean and smiled.

Sean answered, "Pizza sounds good to me."

Drew smiled and said, "Cool, thanks."

Sean asked, "Do you want anything on it?"

"With mom having pizza too? Just extra cheese, otherwise there will be too many vegetables on it." Drew shook his head and pretended to gag.

Sean laughed, "Okay."

Emma and Sean walked back downstairs, and Emma flopped onto the couch. Sean walked into the kitchen, "You want anything to drink?"

"I'm okay. Thanks."

Sean grabbed some water and sat next to Emma on the couch.

"He really likes you."

"Well, I'm not the disciplinarian yet. He'll dislike me when that happens."

Emma smiled.


	10. Chapter 10

Emma shouted up the stairs, "Andrew! Dinner's here!"

"Okay!"

Sean set the table and put the pizza in the middle. "How's this look?"

"Perfect," Emma smiled at him and kissed his nose.

Drew hopped down the stairs and jogged into the kitchen.

"Sweetie, what do you want to drink?"

Drew asked, "Are you talking to me or dad?"

Emma laughed, "Very funny."

"You guys don't call each other sweetie?"

Sean looked at Emma, "Didn't we call each other babe?"

"That sounds right, babe." Emma winked at him then looked at Drew, "Drink?"

"Water, thanks."

Emma asked with a smile, "How about you, babe?"

Sean laughed, "I'm fine, thanks."

Emma brought a pitcher of water to the table and sat down.

"Thanks for dinner, dad."

"You're welcome."

"So when are you moving in here?" Sean laughed and Drew said, "I'm not kidding."

"Well, I just applied to buy a new place so…"

"But it can fall through, right?"

Sean and Emma shared a look.

"Come on, don't treat me like I'm a kid. I'm almost 14."

Sean looked at Drew, "Okay, well, it's only been a few weeks and I have to get used to having a child. You also have to get used to having a father in your life. This is a big deal and we still have to get to know each other better."

Drew nodded, "So I can stay with you at your place. We can bond and do father/son things."

"I would love to do that. Maybe you can hang out with me at the shop and watch me work."

"Yes! Exactly!" Drew smiled, "It could be great!"

Sean looked at Emma and then at Drew and said, "How about this? You keep getting good grades in school, keep doing your homework, keep not getting detention," he narrowed his eyes at his son then said, "And you can come to work with me one Saturday."

Drew nodded, "Okay."

Sean smiled and said, "Perfect."

* * *

Sean stayed with Emma and Drew until 9 pm.

"I have to go. I have an early day at the shop tomorrow."

Emma looked at him, "Oh?"

Sean nodded, "Mondays are my day to catch up on paperwork before the crew shows up."

"I see." She kissed him softly and pulled away, "Thank you for today. It was nice."

Sean smiled, "It was."

She asked, "Do you want to go up and say goodnight?"

"Sure. I'll be right back." Sean climbed the stairs and knocked on Drew's door. "Can I come in?"

Drew answered, "Yep."

Sean opened the door and smiled at his son.

Drew was at his desk, on his computer. "Are you going home?"

"Yeah, I start my day early on Mondays."

"Okay." Drew stood up, "Thanks for lunch and dinner."

"You're welcome."

Drew walked over to Sean and hugged him. Sean hugged him and pat Drew's back. "Goodnight, dad."

"Goodnight, kiddo." Sean smiled at his son and walked out of the room. By the time he got down the stairs, he was wiping tears from his eyes.

"Is everything okay?" Emma looked concerned.

Sean nodded, "Yeah, everything's great." He smiled at her and said, "He hugged me with no coaxing."

Emma smiled, "He did?"

Sean nodded, and Emma hugged him. He said, "I guess he likes me."

Emma pulled away and nodded, "Yep. He does."

"Good, because I like him too."

Emma smiled. She handed him his coat, and he put it on.

He looked at her and said, "Okay, I really have to go."

She nodded, "Okay."

He smiled and said, "Okay."

Emma laughed and kissed him quickly, "Go!" She opened the front door and Sean stepped outside.

"Bye."

"Bye." She watched Sean as he got into his truck and pulled away. She closed and locked the door, then sighed, but it was a content sigh. She was happy that the weekend went so well. She smiled, shut off the front porch light and walked upstairs.

* * *

Sean got home, hung up his coat and walked into his living area. He looked around at his apartment and said, "Why am I moving into a big place alone? This is so stupid."

He immediately emailed Miriam and pulled out of the bidding for the new apartment.

* * *

Emma was getting ready for bed when her phone buzzed. It was Sean.

She answered smiling, "Hello..."

"Hi."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yep. I just wanted to let you know that I've pulled out of the bidding for that apartment."

She smiled, "Really?"

"Yes. It seems silly to spend money on a place I may not need."

"So you'll stay put for now?"

"Yeah, this place isn't so bad."

"It isn't. I like it a lot." Sean laughed. Emma continued and said, "Well, that's good news."

"This has been quite a month."

Emma climbed into bed, "It certainly has been."

"I'd just like to say once again how much I enjoyed today. He's an amazing kid."

"It was a good day, wasn't it?"

Sean smiled and said, "The whole weekend was good."

"It was and Drew seems to like you a lot which is such a relief. Not that I'm surprised because you can charm anyone."

Sean laughed and said, "I don't know about that."

"You've done so much in just a few weeks. He's definitely charmed by you."

"He's charmed me too."

"Even with that attitude he can get?"

"Eh, he's a teenager." He continued, "But it really is as if I'm watching myself at 13. It's so odd."

"You must have really been floored when you first saw him."

"Yeah, I admit, I followed you from work. I had gone to the office to see Miriam and I don't know why, but something was telling me to follow you, so I did. I'm sorry I did that, but I felt like you were keeping something from me. Little did I know."

"Again, I will spend the rest of my life making this up to you."

Sean smiled and said, "Thanks. Well, I better go. I have to wake up early tomorrow and I still have things to do before I go to bed."

"Okay, well goodnight."

"Goodnight, Em. I'll talk to you soon."

"Bye." Emma ended the call and took a deep breath.

* * *

The next morning, Emma got a call at her office from Archie.

"Emma Nelson."

"Hello Emma Nelson, it's Archie Simpson."

"Oh no. What now?"

Archie laughed, "Nothing. It's all good news."

"Oh, thank goodness."

"I'm getting good reports from all of Drew's teachers today. Perino said that Drew was actually participating in class."

"I'm sorry, did you say that my petulant teenage son who hates school was taking part in history class?"

"Apparently."

Emma sat back in her chair, "Wow, I can't believe it."

"Maybe Sean's reappearance was the best thing to happen for your son."

"Well, it's only been a few weeks. Even Sean thinks the honeymoon period will abruptly end when he has to put on his disciplinarian hat on."

"More than likely, yes, but for now, your son's behavior has improved a lot."

Emma smiled, "Good. Anything else going on?"

"Nope."

"Okay, well, I'll let you get back to running Degrassi. I need to head out on an appointment."

"Sounds good, kiddo."

"Bye."

Emma called Sean at work from her car. She wanted to tell him what a good influence he's being on his son.

Sean was walking around the shop when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out, smiled and said to his mechanic Pete, "I have to take this. I'll be right back." He jogged into his office and closed the door. "Emma? Is everything all right?"

"Yes, everything's good. That's why I'm calling."

"Oh?"

"I get daily reports on Drew because, well, because of his issues. And I got a great report from Perino."

"Perino is still at Degrassi?"

Emma laughed, "Yes. I can't believe it either. Perino said Drew was actually participating in class today."

"I'm assuming he's like me and forced to participate?"

"Yes!" Emma smiled, "Anyway, I wanted to tell you that."

"I appreciate you telling me and involving me."

"You're welcome." Emma parked her car, "Okay, I just made it to a house I'm showing so I'll talk to you later?"

"Sure."

"Bye."

"Bye, Em."

Emma hung up and smiled. Sean hung up and grabbed his coat. He needed to leave the shop.

* * *

"Hey Sean," Archie looked puzzled, "What brings you to Degrassi?"

"Emma was telling me about Drew's issues and how he's been improving lately."

"Yep. Did she tell you today's good news?"

"Yes, and I cannot believe Perino is still here."

Archie laughed, "Yeah well, Degrassi is that kind of place."

"Guess so."

"Here," He held out his arm and motioned toward his office, "Come on in."

"Thanks."

They sat down, and Archie looked at Sean.

Sean said, "This must be weird for you."

Archie asked, "What?"

"Me being back in your life."

"To be honest, I always assumed it would happen even if Emma never had Drew. You two have this connection that cannot be broken."

Sean nodded, "That's true."

"I've also been meaning to tell you I'm happy you made it back from Afghanistan in one piece."

"Yeah, well, therapy helps."

"PTSD?"

Sean nodded, "Yep."

"I'm sorry."

Sean shrugged, "Hey, I made it back with all my limbs intact. It's just my brain that needs a little help from time-to-time." He continued, "I have to ask you something."

"Go ahead."

"Did you try to reason with Emma, you know, about letting me know about Drew?"

Archie nodded. "Yes, many times, but we didn't think it was our place to tell you. Believe me, I wanted to tell you. But she probably wouldn't have forgiven me."

Sean nodded and said, "Well, I'm glad I have this chance now."

"So am I." Archie handed him some papers, "Here are some reports from Drew's other teachers. You'll see an improvement. Marco Del Rossi is Drew's English teacher."

"Yeah, Em told me." He thumbed through the sheets and read each passage.

"He said that Drew volunteered to read a passage in class this morning."

Sean smiled and said, "I'm assuming that rarely happens."

"Nope. Drew is like you." Archie smiled, "Exactly like you."

He looked up at Archie and said, "Which is why it's a good thing I'm in his life now. I can steer him away from following the same path I went down."

Archie nodded.

* * *

Later that day, when Sean got home from work, he went straight into his bathroom. He needed to wash the grease and grime off his body. It was one of those afternoons when he actually had to help around the shop. Other days he could stay in his office or just supervise the mechanics' work.

As he was about to step into the shower, his buzzer rang. He wasn't expecting anyone, but answered the intercom anyway.

"Yeah?"

"Sean, it's me."

"Em?"

"Yes, can I come up?"

"Of course." He buzzed her in and waited for her. Then he quickly realized he was naked with just a towel on and scrambled around his room to find something to put on. The doorbell rang, and he answered the door in his robe. "Hey."

"I'm so sorry to barge in like this."

"No worries. Come on in. Is everything okay?"

"Yes. Everything's fine." Emma walked into his entryway then took a good look at him, "Were you showering?"

"I was just about to. It was a busy day at the shop and I actually worked a lot so I feel grimy." He looked at her, "Can you give me like five minutes?"

"Not a problem. I can wait."

"Great," He walked into his bathroom then peeked his head out, "Oh and help yourself to anything in the fridge."

Emma nodded and smiled.

Sean jumped into the shower and faced the showerhead. He let the stream of water hit his face and hair first. He immediately felt better. Then he turned around to let the stream hit his back and neck. He rolled his head around a few times, ran his hands through his hair, then opened his eyes to reach for his soap. That's when Emma startled him.

"Jesus, Em. You scared me."

She smiled, "Sorry."

Sean looked her up and down, "Were you feeling gross and grimy like me?"

She shook her head, "Not really, but I couldn't stay out there knowing that you were naked in here."

Sean smiled, "We shouldn't be doing this."

"Why not? You love me, I love you, we're both extremely attracted to each other, and we're pretty good at this, so why not?"

Sean couldn't think of a reason and nodded in agreement. "That's mostly true."

Emma asked, "Mostly true?"

Sean nodded, "You love me, I love you and we're both extremely attracted to each other but I would say that we're really good at this."

Emma smiled and grabbed Sean's soap. "Let me clean you up."

"Oh?"

She nodded and started cleaning Sean's chest and shoulders. "You're still in fantastic shape, Cameron."

"Yeah, well, the Army kind of drilled it into me."

Her hands wandered down, and Sean's abs quivered. "Ticklish?"

"No, just sensitive."

Emma grinned, "Interesting." She brought her hands back up to his shoulders and neck. "Turn around so I can wash your back."

Sean said nothing, he just did what he was told.

Emma soaped up her hands again and cleaned Sean's back. When she got to his lower back, she reached around and before she could touch him, Sean grabbed her hands.

He asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm cleaning you, silly. Now let me finish."

He turned around, "Only if I get to clean you too."

She handed him his soap, "Of course."

Sean grinned as he soaped up his hands. "You know we will probably need another shower later."

Emma smiled and said, "I hope so."

* * *

"That was…"

Emma smiled, "Mind-blowingly fantastic?"

Sean laughed and agreed, "God, yes."

Emma smiled and said, "I'm glad I came over."

"So am I." He looked at her, "Why did you come over? It wasn't just for sex, right?"

"Not exactly. But I was hoping it would happen."

"Oh?" He sat up and Emma joined him. She pulled his blanket up and underneath her armpits.

"I can't help wanting you, Sean. I've missed you. A lot."

He smiled and said, "So we're making up for lost time?"

"Yes?"

"Okay, well, in that case, are you ready for another round?"

"Are you?"

He peeked under the covers and said, "I'm getting there."

Emma smiled and kissed him.

* * *

"I should get home. I told my mom I'd be back by 8." Emma got dressed as Sean watched her.

Sean grabbed his phone, looked at the time and said, "Oops." It was nearly 9 p.m. "What did you tell her you were doing?"

"Showing a place to someone who couldn't take time off from work to see it."

"Sneaky, I like it."

"Well, she'll know from my face when I walk in where I really was. She figured it out last time."

Sean shook his head.

"She wasn't angry or anything. She said she wasn't surprised."

He smiled, "I would like to take you out on a proper date. Maybe dinner and a movie. Or dinner and drinks. Or maybe you could even come here for dinner."

"I'd love that." Emma sat next to him on the bed and put on her shoes. When she finished, she turned to Sean. "I had a lot of fun."

"So did I." He leaned forward and kissed her, then smiled, "I'm glad you stopped by." Emma smiled and stood up. Sean got up and grabbed a pair of shorts. "Can't exactly walk you to the door naked."

"Well, you could, but that might be uncomfortable for you."

They kissed one more time before Emma left.

She smiled at him and said, "I love you."

"I love you."

"Bye."

Sean watched Emma walk down the hall and step into the elevator. She waved at him, and he smiled.


	11. Chapter 11

"So how did it go with your client?"

"Hmm?" Emma looked at her mom in a daze.

"You went to see Sean again, didn't you?"

Emma couldn't lie. "Sorry."

Christine chuckled, "Why are you sorry? I get it."

"You do?"

"Em, you love each other, you haven't seen each other in years. And it's Sean."

Emma laughed, "What does _that_ mean?"

"I have functioning eyes, Emma. He's still adorable. How can you resist him?"

"I can't, clearly." She sat down on the couch and took off her shoes, "You should have seen my face when I realized he was the client I had to show an apartment."

"Did your heart race?"

She nodded, "I nearly fainted, then I nearly tripped in front of him."

"Did you get butterflies?"

Emma smiled, "Yep. It felt like I was 12 again."

"You know he's the one, right?" Emma nodded. "Does he know?"

She smiled and said, "I think he does."

"Good." Christine stood up, "Drew did his homework and ate some dinner so I let him go up to his room to play video games."

"Thanks, mom."

"You're welcome."

Christine left and Emma put her feet up on the coffee table. She nearly nodded off until Drew called out to her.

"Mom?"

She opened her eyes, "Yes, sweetie. I'm home."

Drew jogged down the stairs, "Hey."

She sat up and smiled, "Hey there, kiddo. How was your day?"

"Okay." He sat next to her on the couch. "You look tired."

Emma laughed, "Thank you for noticing."

"Did you talk to dad today?"

"Yes, I did."

"And how is he?"

"He's fine. Why?"

"Just wondering."

"You really like him, don't you?"

Drew smiled, "He's pretty cool."

Emma nodded and smiled, "He is pretty cool."

Drew asked, "Do you think he can come over for dinner tomorrow?"

"Drew, your father owns his own business, and he's usually busy during the week. I think our best bet is the weekend."

"Okay." He rolled his eyes, got up and walked toward the kitchen. Emma couldn't help but giggle.

* * *

That night Emma got into her bed and called Sean.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"Your son was asking about you and he wants you to come over for dinner tomorrow."

Sean smiled and said, "I can do that. Not a problem."

"Are you sure? I know you're busy during the week."

"It's fine. I'd like to come over for dinner."

Emma said, "Oh good. He'll be happy."

Sean asked, "And how about you? Will you be happy?"

Emma smiled, "Yes."

"Good. What time should I come over?"

"Can you make it by 6?"

"Maybe more like 6:15."

"Perfect. So we'll see you then."

"Okay. Do you need me to bring anything?"

Emma said, "Nope just yourself."

"Great. So I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yep. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Em."

Sean put his phone down and turned off his light. Emma put her phone on her nightstand and pulled her covers up to her chin.

* * *

"Your father is coming over for dinner tonight."

Drew smiled, "He is?"

Emma nodded, "Yep. So be good today. No detention." Drew rolled his eyes. "And don't roll your eyes at me."

He turned to his mother, "Mom, you don't have to tell me to be good anymore."

"Oh really?"

Drew nodded. "I want to see dad work. You heard what he said."

"I did." Emma unlocked the door and said, "Well, have a good day at school."

"Thanks. Are you picking me up?"

"Yep, I'll be here at 4:15."

"Okay. Bye." Drew opened the door and got out of the car.

"Bye, kiddo." Emma watched her son walk up the stairs to Degrassi and she pulled away from the curb. She had three showings in the morning alone and needed to get her paperwork ready.

* * *

"Hey Nelson," Drew was at a standing desk in the Degrassi library when his friend Oliver got his attention, "Did you ever read about the shooting here?"

Drew looked at his friend and shook his head.

"Check this out. It happened back in 2004."

Drew walked over to the computer Oliver was using and saw old newspaper covers.

"Whoa!" Oliver pointed at Sean, "Drew, this guy looks just like you!"

Drew looked at newspaper cover after newspaper cover of his dad being called a hero.

Oliver pulled up another article, "Wait, is that your mom?"

Drew studied the picture of Emma and said, "Yeah, let me read this."

Oliver read along with him and said, "Dude, that guy saved your mom's life."

"Wow, I had no idea about any of this." Drew couldn't believe it. "Keep that there." He walked over to his backpack, "I want to print some of these out."

Oliver kept reading the article, "His name is Sean Cameron, and he wrestled for the gun after that dude Rick pointed it at your mom. That's so badass. He saved your mom's life."

The bell rang and Oliver nearly clicked away from the article but Drew stopped him, "Drew, we gotta go to History."

Drew kept his eyes on the screen, "I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Okay but don't blame me if you get in trouble with Perino."

Oliver left and Drew continued to print out every article he could find about his mom and his dad. He put them all into a folder and put the folder into his backpack. He made it to Perino's class with two seconds to spare before the bell rang.

* * *

That afternoon, Emma showed two houses and one apartment. She got some contracts together, filed some paperwork and still made it to Degrassi by 4:15 to pick up Drew.

He was sitting on the stairs waiting for her when she pulled up and he was so engrossed reading the articles about his dad he didn't even see or hear Emma pull up in her car.

Emma rolled down the window, "Pssst, Andrew."

Drew looked up and shut the folder. He shoved it in his bag, got up and walked over to the car. He got in and looked at his mom.

Emma asked, "Is everything okay?" He nodded, then leaned over and hugged her tight. Emma asked, "Andrew? Are you feeling all right?"

He pulled away and nodded. "I'm fine. So you said dad is coming over tonight, right?"

"Yep. I'm stopping off at the market first if that's okay. I need to pick up some stuff for dinner."

"Yeah, no problem."

"Great." Emma was about to pull away from the curb when she looked at her son and asked, "Are you sure you're all right?"

Drew nodded and smiled, "Yeah. I'm fine."

"Okay."

* * *

Sean finished up at work and went to his apartment to shower and change. He was happy to get to know his son and to get to know Emma again, but he was wishing he didn't live way across town.

* * *

Sean got to Emma's at 6:20 and rang the doorbell. She was still cooking, so she asked Andrew to answer the door.

Drew smiled at his dad and let him in.

"Hey, buddy. How was school?"

"It was enlightening."

Sean raised an eyebrow, "Oh yeah?"

"Yep."

After he hung up his coat, Sean walked toward the kitchen and when he walked in, he greeted Emma with a kiss on the cheek. "Hello."

"Hi. How was work today?"

"It was very busy, but it was a good busy. And you?"

"The same actually. I got a lot done."

"That's good." Sean sat down at the kitchen table, "Drew tells me that school was enlightening today."

Emma turned around and looked at Drew, "Enlightening? How?"

"Be right back." He walked to the stairs and jogged upstairs.

Emma walked over to the table and put her hand on Sean's shoulder. "He's been acting strange since I picked him up from school."

He put his arm around her waist and said, "Guess we'll find out why."

Drew went up to his room, got the folder full of articles, walked back down the stairs and walked into the kitchen.

"So," Emma sat down, "What was so enlightening about school, Drew?"

Drew placed the folder in front of them, "Open it."

Sean looked at Emma, then at the folder, and opened it up. "Oh, wow."

Emma asked, "Drew, sweetie, where did you get all this?"

"I printed it out at the school library."

Sean thumbed through the articles. "I haven't seen these since it happened."

"Dad, you saved mom's life."

Sean shrugged, "I just did what anyone else would have done."

Emma looked at him, "No, you didn't."

Sean examined the pictures of himself and said, "No, I didn't."

"Mom, why didn't you ever tell me about this?"

Emma got up and walked back over to the stove, "I don't know. It wasn't such a great time for any of us and most of us wanted to forget about it."

"Dad, you're a hero."

Sean wiped a tear from his eye and stood up, "Can you both excuse me a second?"

Emma looked at him, "Are you okay?"

Sean nodded, "I just need some air." He walked to the back door, opened it and stepped onto the back porch.

"Did I upset him, mom? I didn't mean to."

Emma walked over to Drew, "It's okay, sweetie."

Sean leaned on the railing of Emma's back porch and began an exercise his therapist had taught him. He was told to do it when he felt like he would panic or get upset. After a few minutes, he calmed down and walked back inside.

"Dad, I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's okay, buddy."

"Are you sure?"

Sean nodded, "Yeah, I'm sure. Come here." Drew walked over to his dad and Sean asked, "Can I hug you?"

Drew nodded and opened his arms for his father.

"Thank you." Sean held onto his son and looked at Emma. "That must have been pretty jarring for you." He pulled away, "To see those pictures and read the articles."

"It was, but I was also so proud of you and I'm proud to be your son."

Tears welled up in Emma's eyes, and Sean smiled.

"And I really look just like you." Sean and Emma laughed. "Oliver was like, 'Dude this guy looks just like you!'

Sean asked, "Have you told him who I am yet?"

"Not yet. Oliver's not too swift. He'll figure it out on his own in a few days."

Sean laughed.

"I'm serious. And it will probably hit him at a terrible time like in the middle of Perino's class or something."

Sean laughed again.

"Okay boys, dinner is ready so sit down."

Sean closed the folder and handed it back to Drew, who placed it on the empty chair next to him.

"So what you said about loving mom all this time was true. I mean, you stepped in front of a gun for her."

Sean sat back down and said, "Yes."

"Wait, what's this?" Emma put dinner on the table, then sat down next to Sean. "You were talking about loving me?"

"Drew asked me when I fell in love with you. I told him seventh grade."

"And you still loved me when you were with Amy and Ellie."

"You were always in here." He pointed at his chest.

"Who are Amy and Ellie?"

Sean shook his head, "That's a long story that we'll save for another day."

"Fine."

Emma smiled, "Seventh grade, huh?"

Sean nodded, "Book report day in Kwan's class."

That shocked Drew and he asked, "Ms. Kwan was there all those years ago too?"

Sean laughed and asked, "Do any teachers ever leave Degrassi?"

Emma shook her head. "Not really."

"So what happened on book report day?"

Emma made a face, "Um, something happened to me."

Drew looked puzzled.

Sean said, "Let's just say your mom became a woman that day."

Drew still looked puzzled, then realized what they were talking about. He said, "Oh, ew."

Emma scoffed, "Why are you saying ew? You don't have to worry about ever having one."

Sean laughed and continued, "Anyway, she stood up to someone who was teasing her about it and I realized how special she was. I mean, I always kind of dug your mom because she was so outspoken, but that day sealed it for me."

Emma smiled, "You're sweet."

He held her hand and said, "Well, it's true."

"Jeez, can you two just get married already? Forget this getting to know each other stuff. You belong together. Everyone knows it."

Emma cocked her head to the side and looked at her son, "Andrew, we can't just rush into things. Your dad has just forgiven me and I still need to make things up to him. What I did to both of you was awful."

"But we're all together now and it's good."

She nodded and said, "So far."

Drew asked, "What does that mean?"

"Your dad and I haven't been in a relationship since we were teenagers, that's why we have to get to know each other again. We have to rediscover each other as adults."

Sean added, "And we want to do that. I mean, I'm willing to do it."

"And so am I."

Drew said, "Good! Because I want us to be a family."

Sean looked at Drew, "We're already a family, buddy. Even if your mom and I don't get together." Emma nodded. "But we will get together because like I said, I've loved her since seventh grade and I'm not letting her get away this time."

Emma turned to him, "You're not?"

Sean shook his head. "Nope, I'm not. It's why I didn't buy that apartment."

Drew said, "See? Move in with us!"

"Just give us a little time, okay?" Sean looked at Drew, "We'll keep doing what we're doing. Getting together and having dinners and lunches and you'll be coming with me to work soon."

"And then?"

"And then we'll see."

"Fine."

Sean shook his head and couldn't help but laugh.

Drew asked, "Why are you laughing?"

"Because you're so much like me at your age, it's scary."


	12. Chapter 12

After dinner, the trio retreated to the living room and watched the Raptors game. Emma cuddled against Sean on the couch, and Drew sat in the loveseat.

"Does anyone dribble anymore?" Emma scoffed, "It's ridiculous."

Sean laughed, "Let's make a game of it and count how many steps they take."

Emma got up and walked into the kitchen. She opened a drawer, grabbed a pad and pen and walked back over to the couch.

"Wow, you're hardcore."

Emma sat down and kept track of how many steps they took without dribbling.

Sean looked at Drew and smiled at him, "Your mother is really into this."

Drew shook his head and laughed.

"Look!" Emma pointed at the TV, "He took five steps!" She grabbed the remote, rewound the game and showed them.

Sean nodded, "Yep. He took five steps. That's impressive."

"Hey, mom."

"Yes, Drew?"

"Why did that guy Rick point the gun at you?"

The question took Emma by surprise, "Why do you want to know?"

"Did he hate you or something?"

Sean answered, "No, he didn't hate your mom. He was just angry at a lot of people."

"I still can't believe you saved her dad. That's amazing."

Sean said nothing, and Emma could tell he was getting uncomfortable talking about it.

"Andrew, let's talk about something else, okay?"

"Sorry."

"It's okay, sweetie. It's natural to be curious about it."

Sean stayed quiet for a bit and Emma held his hand.

"Dad, I'm sorry if I upset you."

Sean shook his head, "You have nothing to be sorry about, I promise."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

* * *

The Raptors won and Drew stood up, "Time for bed, right?"

Emma nodded.

"Okay." He walked over and bent down to hug her, "Goodnight, mom."

"Goodnight, sweetie."

He walked over to his dad and bent down to hug him, "Goodnight, dad."

Sean smiled, "Goodnight, buddy."

Drew walked toward the stairs and looked at them. "This was nice."

Emma nodded, "It was."

Drew walked up the stairs and Sean leaned forward and put his head in his hands.

"What's wrong?"

"I hadn't thought about the shooting in so long. I never worked through it and everything I went through in Afghanistan pushed it to the back of my mind."

Emma put her arms around him and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I killed Rick."

"You were defending us, Sean."

"I know," He turned to her, "When we wrestled for the gun and it went off, it could have been me."

Emma caressed his face, "I thought it was you and it terrified me."

"It's why I stayed in Wasaga."

Emma nodded. "I remember."

"So I hadn't really thought about it in years."

"Me either, honestly."

"But it's natural for Drew to ask about it. And I don't blame him."

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get so serious and brooding."

"Babe, it's fine. I understand."

Sean smiled and leaned forward, "So, what would you like to do now?"

"You're not going home yet?"

"Not unless you want me to."

Emma shook her head, "I definitely don't want you to."

"Good, because I don't want to."

"We can go downstairs."

Sean raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure?"

Emma nodded.

Sean stood up and held out his hand.

Emma grabbed it and stood up.

Sean led the way downstairs.

* * *

When Sean woke up, sunlight was streaming into the room. He sat up in a panic and checked his phone. It was 7:10. "Shit." He got out of the bed and gathered his clothes.

Emma woke up and stretched, "Good morning." She watched as Sean was scrambling to get dressed. "Are you okay?"

"I really need to get out of here before Drew sees me."

"He usually wakes up at 7:30 so you're okay."

Sean zipped up his jeans and looked at Emma, "Last night was nice and being here with you right now is nice."

Emma smiled. "Even though you're about to do the walk of shame."

Sean laughed, then put on his sweater and looked around for his shoes. When he found them, he sat on the bed next to Emma and put them on.

"I loved having you here and waking up to you panicking to find your clothes."

Sean laughed again.

"Maybe one night we can sleep in my room."

Sean turned to her and said, "Definitely."

Emma smiled.

Sean quickly kissed her and got up, "I gotta get home, shower and then get to work."

"You can walk out the back and around the side."

"Yeah," Sean walked over to the sliding door, "I'll do that."

"Bye."

"Bye." He walked out, turned around to close the door and said, "I love you."

Emma smiled at him and said, "I love you."

Emma got out of bed, put on her clothes and walked up the stairs and into the kitchen. Drew was sitting at the table eating cereal. Emma gasped, "Sweetie, you scared me." She shut the basement door and said, "You're up early."

"And you're wearing the same thing you were wearing last night."

"Um, yeah, I fell asleep in my clothes."

"Downstairs?" Emma nodded. "Did dad stay over?"

Emma couldn't lie to him, "Are you okay with that?"

Drew nodded, "Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." He looked at her, "Why did you go downstairs?"

"Well, we didn't want to disturb you."

"Where is dad?"

"He had to go home and get ready for work."

Drew looked at her, "So he sneaked out?"

"We weren't sure how you would react."

"Mom, I told you I'm fine with all of this. I want dad to be in our lives." Emma nodded. "So don't sneak around because of me."

"Okay." Emma smiled at him, "So how does today look?"

"No tests. We have a science quiz tomorrow so I will use my free period to study."

"Good. Do you study alone or with a friend?"

"Usually alone. If I'm sitting with a friend, we'll just talk and not get anything done."

"That sounds familiar." Emma laughed.

"So are you sure I didn't upset dad last night?"

"Yes, sweetie."

"Because he seemed upset."

Emma took a deep breath because it was hard to explain everything to Drew, "He wasn't upset with you. He just hadn't thought about the shooting in a really long time. He kind of buried it in the back of his mind. So being reminded of it took him back to a dark place."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay, and he's okay, I promise."

* * *

Sean was sitting in his office at the shop when there was a knock on his door. "Come in."

It was Emma.

He smiled when he saw her and said, "Hi."

"Hello." She walked in and closed the door.

Sean stood up, walked over to her and asked, "Everything good?"

She nodded and kissed him softly. "Everything's great."

Sean wrapped his arms around her waist, "Oh yeah?"

Emma nodded, "Our son was in the kitchen when you left this morning."

"Uh-oh."

Emma laughed, "It was fine. He said that next time you should just sleep in my room."

"Oh really?"

Emma nodded, "It really doesn't bother him."

Sean made a face.

"Sean, he wants you to move in already and he's only known you a few weeks."

Sean smiled and said, "Let's wait a few more weeks just so people don't think we're completely insane."

"I don't care what other people think."

"I know you don't."

Emma ran her fingers through his hair, "I love you and you love me." Sean nodded, "And I don't want to lose you again."

He smiled and said, "I feel the same way."

"Good."

He quickly kissed her and walked to the door. He locked it and turned back to her.

Emma asked, "Is it a good thing I wore this skirt today?"

Sean smiled, nodded and walked back over to her.

She smiled and said, "Okay, I'll try not to be too loud."

* * *

"That was a lot of fun."

"That was a first for me."

"Really?" Emma helped Sean button up his shirt, "I'm surprised you haven't had more fun in this office."

"I haven't really had anyone to have fun with until now."

"It was a challenge being so quiet."

Sean smiled, "It certainly was."

Emma straightened herself up, "Do I look okay?"

"Beautiful, as always." Sean asked, "And me?"

"Adorable, as always. Except," She wiped around his mouth, "You got some lipstick on your face." Sean kissed her again and she squealed. "Sean!"

"What?" He kissed her neck.

"We both have to get back to work."

Sean pulled away and asked, "Do we have to?"

Emma nodded, "Yes, but maybe we can get together later?"

"Yes."

She asked, "Your place or mine?"

"My place."

"I can get mom or dad to hang out with Drew. He has a science quiz to study for so this is perfect."

Sean smiled.

"I really have to go, I have a showing in 20 minutes." She pulled away from his embrace and asked, "So honestly, do I look okay?" She twirled around for him.

"Yes. You look great."

"Okay," She kissed him, "What time do you want me to come over?"

"7? We'll have dinner."

"Perfect. Do you need me to bring anything?"

"Nope, just your beautiful self."

"Okay." She kissed him again, "I love you."

"I love you."

"Bye."

He reached over and unlocked his office door, "See you later."

Emma walked out and his guys all looked at him. Sean shrugged and walked back to his desk.

* * *

"Thanks for doing this, mom."

"You're welcome."

Emma put on her coat and grabbed her purse, "We're just having dinner. I shouldn't be too late."

"Em…"

"Okay, I may be late."

Christine laughed.

Emma lowered her voice, "We had sex in his office earlier."

"Emma!"

"We couldn't help it."

Christine shook her head, then smiled, "I miss those days. When the relationship is new and you can't keep your hands off each other."

Emma nodded.

"You're being careful, right?"

"Yes, mom."

"Good. You don't want another surprise."

"True. So how do I look?"

"Beautiful."

Emma smiled.

* * *

Sean made dinner for Emma and lit some candles around his apartment. As he waited for her arrival, he looked around his place and made sure it looked nice for her. When his buzzer went off, he jogged to the intercom.

"Em?"

"Yep."

He buzzed her in and waited by the front door for her. When she walked out of the elevator, she smiled at him.

"Hi."

"Hi."

Sean let her into the apartment and locked the door. "Can I take your coat?"

"Yes, thanks."

Sean took off her coat, and she turned around. He smiled at her, "You look pretty." Emma was wearing a gray and black leopard print sweater and black jeans.

"Thank you. You look very handsome." Sean was wearing a navy sweater and jeans.

He smiled, "Thanks." He hung up her coat and said, "Come on in." He grabbed her hand and walked her into the apartment.

Emma looked around and said, "Sean, it looks lovely."

"Come, sit down." He held out a chair for her, and she sat down.

"You made dinner?"

"Don't get too excited." He walked over to his stove, "It's just some pasta with broccoli and sun-dried tomatoes." He scooped some of it into a serving bowl and placed it in the middle of the table.

"Well, it looks fantastic."

"Thank you. What would you like to drink? I have wine, beer, water—"

"I'll have a glass of wine."

Sean got a wine glass and poured some white wine into it for Emma. He grabbed a beer out of the fridge and walked over to the table. He handed Emma her wine and sat down.

She said, "Let's toast."

"Okay."

Emma looked at him and held up her glass, "To us finding each other again. And to our son, his father's clone, but who changed our lives for the better."

Sean smiled, "I'll drink to that." He took a sip of his beer and said, "Take some pasta."

Emma took two spoonfuls, and Sean waited for her to take a bite. When she did, she closed her eyes.

"Is it okay?"

Emma nodded, "That's great. Is that goat cheese?"

Sean nodded.

"So you made a vegetarian dish just for me?"

"Of course, I did." He laughed, "I wouldn't force you to eat meat."

Emma smiled. "Maybe I'll turn you into one after all."

Sean shook his head, "Never."

Emma laughed.


	13. Chapter 13

After dinner, Sean and Emma retreated to his couch. Emma rested her head on Sean's chest, and he played with her hair.

"This is nice."

Emma smiled, "It is."

"I like just being with you, Em."

"I enjoy being with you too. Just sitting here and holding each other."

"Yep." Sean smiled and said, "I really can't believe what we did earlier in my office."

"Neither can I but it was a lot of fun."

"It definitely was." He looked down at her, "I always wondered what it would be like to have sex on my desk but never thought I would ever do it."

Emma laughed, looked at him, and asked, "Was it everything you hoped it would be?"

"It was even better." Emma smiled and kissed him. Sean pulled away and said, "It's too bad you're not wearing that skirt now."

"Well, I had to shower when I got home." Sean smiled. "But I can take these jeans off just as easily."

Sean raised an eyebrow and said, "Or I can."

Emma sat up, smiled and laid back, "Have it 'em." Sean hovered over her and unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans. She lifted herself up so he could pull them down. He knelt on the floor and pulled Emma's body closer to him. Emma looked down at him and raised an eyebrow. Sean smiled and started kissing her inner thigh. Emma writhed around a bit, and he continued to tease her. "You're being so mean right now."

He looked up at her, smiled, then pulled down her panties. She helped him take them off, and he tossed them to the side. "Better?"

Emma nodded. "Much."

"Do you remember the first time I did this to you?"

Emma smiled, "Yes, I do."

"You were _really_ loud."

"Because it felt so good."

"It's a good thing we weren't in your house." Emma laughed and looked down at him. Sean grinned, "Let's see if I can make you scream again."

* * *

"Oh my God."

Sean sat up and looked at Emma, "Are you okay?"

Emma nodded.

He laughed, "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Emma sat up against Sean's headboard and turned to him, "That was incredible."

Sean smiled, "You were loud."

"I feel like I can be here."

"I wonder what my neighbors will think."

Emma smiled, "They'll think, 'Wow I wish I was having sex like that.'

Sean laughed, "Yeah, well…"

"We really can't be this loud when you move in."

Sean looked at her and said, "First of all, it's you that's loud."

"Excuse me, sir? You're pretty loud too, you know."

"Fine. It's both of us." Sean wrapped his arms around Emma and she snuggled into his chest, "We'll have to convince Drew to spend time at his friends' houses."

"That won't be easy."

Sean asked, "Doesn't he have friends?"

"Yeah, but it's different from it was when we were that age. Most of his friends are playing video games with him on the computer."

"Ah."

They sat there in silence for a few moments, then Emma looked at him and said, "I have a question for you."

Sean raised an eyebrow, "Okay…"

Emma asked, "How many women have you been with?"

"Hmmm," He thought about it. "Five? Six? Not many."

"Including me?"

"Yes."

His answer shocked Emma, "Really?"

He laughed, "Yes. Why is that so surprising?"

"Because you're adorable and women must throw themselves at you."

Sean laughed, "Not really."

"Oh come on."

"Okay, sometimes I get women flirting with me at the shop but I've never been the guy to sleep around."

Emma smiled at him.

"And you?"

Emma grinned, "How many women have I been with?"

Sean laughed, "Hey, I wouldn't be against that at all."

Emma shook her head, "Sorry, I am only attracted to men." She said, "Three."

"That's it?"

"It was difficult to date as a single mom," Sean said nothing. "If I had told you about Drew sooner, we could have been together this whole time." She put her forehead on his chest, "I'm sorry."

"We can't change the past so let's be happy we're together now and let's build a future together, okay?" Emma nodded her head. "Em, look at me." Emma looked at him with tears in her eyes. He smiled and said, "I love you." She nodded. "And you love me." She nodded again. "So that's all that matters right now."

She smiled, "You're right."

"I know I'm right." Emma laughed and he continued, "So no more tears, okay?"

Emma wiped her face, nodded, and smiled, "Okay."

* * *

Sean and Emma were in his entryway saying goodbye.

"I don't want to leave but I can't leave Drew alone." Sean nodded. "So maybe next time you can come to my house."

Sean smiled, "Tomorrow?"

Emma nodded, "Yes. We'll have dinner as a family and you can stay over if you want."

"That sounds wonderful."

Emma kissed Sean, pulled away and smiled. "I really do love you."

"I love you. And I love our son." Emma smiled and hugged him. "Please text me when you get home."

"I will."

They kissed one more time and Emma left. Sean walked back into his bedroom, looked around and smiled.

* * *

When Emma walked into her house, Christine was sleeping on the couch. Emma quietly closed the front door and hung up her coat.

"Em?"

She turned around and Christine was stretching. "Did I wake you?"

"No, I was in that twilight sleep and I heard you walk in."

"Oh good. Do you want to stay over? You can if you want."

Christine shook her head, "No, that's okay."

"You can sleep downstairs."

Christine smiled, "Okay, I'll call Archie."

"Thank you for tonight. Sean's coming over tomorrow."

"Oh?" Christine stood up, "Are you having a sleepover?"

Emma nodded.

"Good."

"Yeah, we'll see."

After Emma got changed and ready for bed, she texted Sean. "I'm home and I'm in bed."

Sean grabbed his phone as soon as it started buzzing and smiled. He typed back, "I wish I was there with you."

"So do I."

"I'm actually sad because I'm not there with you."

Emma smiled and typed, "You will be tomorrow."

"That's true."

"Thanks again for tonight. It was wonderful."

Sean smiled and typed back, "You're welcome. And it was wonderful."

"I'm getting sleepy so I will say goodnight and I can't wait to see you tomorrow."

Sean typed back, "Goodnight and ditto."

* * *

"So, how did the science quiz go?"

Drew replied, "I think it was good. I didn't really have trouble answering anything."

Emma said, "That's great, sweetie."

"Yeah, I got a lot of studying done last night and it wasn't that bad."

"Good."

Drew asked, "Did you have a nice dinner with dad last night?"

"Yes, I did. He's coming over tonight."

"Oh? Just for dinner."

"No." Emma stopped at a red light and looked at Drew, "He wants to spend the night so he can have breakfast with us in the morning."

"Really?" Drew smiled.

Emma nodded, "Really."

"Good."

"So do you have any idea about what you want for dinner?"

"I'm up for anything."

"Okay."

* * *

Sean brought his duffle bag to the shop so he could go to Emma's right after work.

He arrived at Emma's at 6:00 and rang the doorbell.

Emma smiled, walked to the front door and opened it, "Hello."

"Hi."

"Come on in."

"Thank you." He walked in and looked around.

She closed the door and Sean grabbed her waist and kissed her hello.

When he pulled away, he asked, "How was your day?"

She smiled and said, "It's much better now."

"Good." He kissed her again quickly, then asked, "Where's our son?"

"He's upstairs doing his homework."

"Oh good."

Emma looked at his bag and asked, "Want me to take that?"

"Nope," Sean placed his duffel bag next to the stairs, "You can show me your bedroom later."

"Okay, want to watch me cook dinner?"

"Sure."

Emma grabbed his hand and led him into the kitchen. "So how was your day?"

Sean sat down at the island and watched Emma. "Good, actually. We finished a lot of jobs as new business was coming in. It almost never stops."

"That's great!"

"It is great. It's better than I ever could have imagined."

Emma turned to him and smiled, "Again, I'm really proud of you."

"Thank you. I appreciate that."

"Hey, dad!" Drew walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, buddy. How was that science quiz?"

"Pretty good, I think. I knew a lot more than I thought I would."

"That's great!"

Drew sat next to his dad. "So you're staying over tonight?"

Sean nodded, "Are you okay with that?"

"I'm really okay with that."

"Good, I'm glad." Sean pat Drew's back. "Because we don't want to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable."

"Dad, I want you to move in here with us." Sean looked at Emma and then back at Drew. "I don't care that it's only been a few weeks. You two should have been together this whole time."

Emma nodded, "You're right. We should have. We just have to be smart about this."

"Yes," Sean looked at Drew, "But just know that it's heading that way and it may happen sooner than you think."

"Good."

Emma smiled and finished cooking dinner.

"Dad."

"Yeah?" Sean looked at Drew.

"I'm sorry about making you upset."

"You don't have to be sorry. Really. It's fine."

"I won't bring it up again."

Sean nodded and put his hand on Drew's shoulder.

Emma grabbed Sean's other hand and rubbed it with her thumb. "So, Andrew, any more exams we should know about?"

"Not this week but I have a paper due next week for Mr. Del Rossi's class."

Sean asked, "Do you like his class?"

"It's alright, I guess."

"You know we know him, right?"

"Yeah, mom told me."

"One time I was sleeping over at a friend's house with a few guys and we were playing truth or dare. Marco, um, Mr. Del Rossi, dialed your mom's number without telling me and dared me to prank someone."

Emma started laughing. "I remember that."

"I wanted to kill him."

Drew asked, "Why?"

"Well, your mom and I were broken up then."

"Oh."

Emma asked, "How did he even get our number?"

"It was on Joey's refrigerator."

"Oh right because I was Angie's babysitter."

Drew asked, "Who are Joey and Angie?"

Emma answered and said, "Joey is one of grandpa's oldest and dearest friends. He's out in Calgary. And Angela is his daughter."

Sean looked at Emma and said, "I wonder where Craig is."

"Last I heard he was in Vancouver still playing music."

"Oh, well, it's cool."

"Yeah."

Sean said, "You know who came into my shop about six months ago?"

"Who?"

"Spinner Mason."

"Oh yeah? I see Spin every once in a while when we stop in at the Dot."

Sean asked, "He owns it now, right?"

"Yep."

Drew asked, "Mom, why is his name Spinner?"

Emma answered, "He had ADD when he was younger and before he went on his meds, he was basically spinning like a top."

"Oh. I wish I had a cool nickname." He looked at Sean, "Does everyone call you Sean?"

"Mostly. Some of my guys at work call me Cameron."

"Yeah, some of my friends call me Nelson."

Emma looked at Sean, "Jay used to call me Greenpeace."

And Sean raised an eyebrow.

Drew asked, "Why?"

"Because I was into environmental causes when I was in high school."

"Your mom even started her own environmental club in 9th grade." He looked at Emma, "What was it called again?"

"Site." Emma shook her head, "Let's not talk about 9th grade."

Sean laughed, "Yeah, that was not a good year for us. Well, more for me. I was such a jackass."

Drew laughed, "What did you do?"

Emma answered before Sean could, "He dumped me and was a total jerk to me."

Sean nodded and agreed, "I was."

Drew asked, "Wait, how many times did you go out and break up?"

Sean thought about it and answered, "It was three times, right?"

Emma nodded.

Drew looked at his parents. "On second thought, maybe it is a good thing you're not rushing into anything."

Both Sean and Emma laughed. Sean took a drink then said, "So Drew, what would you say about coming to work with me on Saturday?"

"Really?"

Emma nodded, "Yep. You're really turning things around in school and I think you should be able to hang out with your dad."

"Thanks!"

Sean smiled at Emma and squeezed her hand.

* * *

After dinner, Sean and Emma were sitting on the couch while Drew was sitting on the loveseat.

"Mom?"

"Yes, sweetie."

"I've never seen you this happy or relaxed before."

"Well, I'm thankful to have your father back in my life."

Sean kissed her forehead.

Drew said, "So am I."

Sean looked at his son and smiled. "And I'm glad to have you both in my life."

"I'm really excited about watching you work."

"Yeah, well, I'm usually in my office a lot but on Saturday, I'll show you how to fix some stuff."

"Really? That'll be so cool!"

Sean smiled.

Emma asked, "It'll be great. You guys will spend the morning together and I'll be doing laundry and cleaning up around here."

Sean said, "Maybe we can do something together in the afternoon."

Drew asked, "As a family?"

Sean said, "Yep."

"I'll look up something fun we can do." Emma got up and walked over to the computer.

Sean sat up and smiled at Drew.

Emma said, "Ooh the winter festival is still going on and there are lots of things to do there."

Drew made a face and Sean laughed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Sean said, "You can tell me."

Emma turned around in the computer chair, "Andrew, are you embarrassed by the thought of spending the day with your parents?"

"No, it's just walking around and being around all those people downtown."

Emma stood up, "Okay, you need to learn how to be out and about." She walked back over to the couch and sat next to Sean. "We will have fun!"

Drew rolled his eyes and said, "Whatever you say."

Sean laughed, "Okay, stop doing that because I'm having flashbacks."

Emma looked at him, "How do you think I feel?"


	14. Chapter 14

At 9:30, Drew got up and walked over to his parents who were still on the couch together, "Time for bed."

"Okay, kiddo." Emma kissed his cheek.

"Goodnight, buddy."

"Night, dad."

Drew walked up the stairs and Sean changed his position on the couch. He laid back and Emma got between his legs and rested her head on his chest.

"This was a great night, Sean."

"It was." He kissed her hair. "I like spending time with the two of you."

They stayed there for a few minutes chatting when Emma said, "You know what I just realized?"

"What?"

"You still don't know what my room looks like."

"That's true."

She sat up, "Let's bring your stuff up there and I'll show you around."

Sean raised an eyebrow, "This must be some room."

Emma laughed, "Come on."

They stood up, and Sean walked over to the entryway to grab his duffel bag. "Lead the way, dear."

Emma walked up the stairs ahead of Sean, who smacked her ass. She squealed, "Sean!"

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself. It was right there."

When they reached the top of the stairs, Emma grabbed his hand and led Sean to the attic stairs.

"Oh, it's up on the third floor?" Emma nodded. He followed her up and looked around. "Wow, Em, this is amazing."

"This is the lounge area." There was a small couch and a TV. She opened a sliding barn door, "Here's the bathroom."

Sean peeked his head inside and whistled, "Wow." There was a freestanding tub, two vessel sinks on a floating vanity and a glass shower with a hand-held showerhead and a rainfall showerhead.

She smiled and said, "And this is the boudoir."

Sean laughed, "You know, I like the lower ceilings, they make me feel tall." Emma laughed. "Seriously, it's beautiful up here."

"Thanks. I'm lucky to afford this place. When the real estate market is good, I make a good living."

Sean placed his bag on a bench in front of Emma's bed. "Uh, Em, that's a lot of pillows. Do you make the bed every day?"

Emma smiled, "I slack on the weekends. It's why I'm glad the room is up here and no one can really see it." Sean laughed. "Oh and when it's nice out, I sit out there."

Emma flipped a light switch, Sean looked out a pair of French doors and he saw a small patio with two chairs that overlooked the backyard.

"That must be great on a summer morning."

"Yeah, I sometimes will have my coffee out there." She pointed toward the lounge side of the attic, "I have a single cup coffee maker in the cabinet in there so I don't have to go all the way downstairs.

Sean smiled, "Fancy."

Emma laughed, "More like lazy."

Sean walked over, sat on her bed and looked around. "You know, sometimes it's hard to believe that I'm still here." Emma walked over and sat next to him. "There were a few times when I probably could have died in Afghanistan but I made it home alive."

Emma caressed his face, "You did."

Sean kissed her and leaned his head on her forehead, "I'm thrilled to have this chance with you and our son."

Emma smiled and kissed him.

* * *

"That was nice."

Sean smiled, "It reminded me of the night we conceived Drew." He kissed her hair, "Quiet and nice."

"Yeah."

"I still can't believe we did that."

Emma looked up at him, "I wanted it to be our goodbye." Sean nodded. "I still loved you but I didn't want to hold you back from what you wanted to do or what you felt like you needed to do."

"I was so happy that night." Emma smiled, "I really was. For those couple of hours, I forgot about what I was heading into and could just be with you." He looked at her, "I figured you would steer clear of me the entire weekend."

"I almost did and then I decided that I needed to be with you one more time." Sean smiled. "Plus that whole man in uniform thing is true."

Sean laughed. "Oh yeah?" Emma nodded. "I wasn't wearing my uniform in bed."

Emma started tickling him.

"Hey!" Sean grabbed her hands. "You don't really want to do that."

"Oh no?" Emma smiled.

Sean rolled them over so he was hovering over Emma, "No." He held onto her wrists and smiled.

Emma raised an eyebrow, "Mr. Cameron."

"Yes, Miss Nelson?"

"Are you going to hold me down as you make love to me?"

"Maybe."

"Please?"

"If you insist."

"Oh, I insist."

Sean smiled, and Emma raised her head and started kissing him.

* * *

"We are definitely sleeping well tonight."

Emma looked at Sean in the bathroom mirror and smiled. They were getting ready for bed together. "I like this."

"Me too."

"It feels right."

Sean nodded, "It does."

"You can sleep here as much as you'd like."

"Oh yeah?"

Emma nodded, "Yes. This place is closer to your shop than to your apartment."

"That is true."

"And we both love having you here."

Sean smiled and kissed Emma's cheek. "Which side of the bed do you usually sleep on?"

"I sleep in the middle. I've never had to share my bed." She turned to him, "Do you have a side?"

"Not really."

"Okay. We'll walk in there and see what works."

Sean nodded. He rinsed his mouth out with some mouthwash and spit into his sink. "All done."

Emma laughed, "Give me a few more minutes. I have some girly stuff to do."

"You ladies and all your lotions and potions." Sean walked out of the bathroom and stood next to the bed. He looked around the room and smiled. He could picture himself living there permanently, but he didn't want to tell Emma that. Not yet.

A few minutes later, Emma emerged from the bathroom. Sean leaned over and smelled her, "Wow, you smell great. What is that?"

"An apricot vanilla body lotion."

"Mmm, I want to eat you." He kissed her neck.

"You already did."

Sean laughed. "So, how are we going to do this?"

Emma shrugged. "Should we flip a coin?"

Sean walked over to the side of the bed closer to the French doors. "I'll go on this side."

Emma smiled and climbed into bed.

Sean looked around, "Where did all the pillows go?"

"Over there in that cabinet." She pointed at a built-in cabinet that lined the opposite wall of the room.

"Ah," He joined Emma in the bed and got comfortable.

She reached for the lamp switch and shut off the light. "What time do you need to get up?"

"A little before 7. The shop opens at 8:30 and I need to get there to let the guys in."

"Okay." Emma set the alarm on her phone. "Goodnight." She kissed him quickly on the lips and turned away from him.

"Goodnight." Sean laid on his back for a few moments but he wasn't comfortable. "Em?"

"Hmmm?"

"Can I hold you as we fall asleep?"

"Of course you can."

"Okay," He turned over, spooned her, wrapped his left arm around her waist and she held onto it. He kissed her hair, "Goodnight, again."

"Goodnight."

* * *

The next morning, Emma's alarm went off at 6:45. She reached for it and Sean groaned.

Emma turned to him and said, "Good morning."

He smiled with his eyes still closed.

"You want me to make you something to eat?"

"No," Sean kissed her nose and sat up, "I'm going to jump in the shower. You go back to sleep for a little bit. I'm sorry you had to wake up earlier than usual."

"It's only a half an hour earlier." Emma sat up, "And I can start cooking while you're in the shower."

Sean got out of bed and smiled, "Okay."

"Good." Emma got up and stretched, "Coffee too?"

"Oh God yes. Can't survive without it."

"Same." Emma walked over to the stairs and smiled at him, "See you soon."

"Okay."

Emma went down to the kitchen and started making omelets for breakfast. A little while later, Drew walked into the kitchen and sat at the kitchen island. "Good morning, sweetie. How did you sleep?"

"Fine."

"Good. I was making breakfast for your dad because he has to head out early. Would you like some eggs?"

"Sure." He looked at his mother, "Am I going to have to wake up this early on Saturday?"

Emma laughed, "Yes. The shop is open for the first half of the day so no sleeping in."

Drew put his head down on his arms, and Emma rubbed his head.

About five minutes later, Sean walked into the kitchen. "Good morning, buddy." He pat Drew on the back and Drew raised his head. "Rough night?"

"No, I'm just tired."

Emma laughed, "Yeah, kids his age need about 10 hours of sleep to function."

Sean nodded, "I remember those days." He sat down at the island with Drew, "I can't remember the last time I slept past 9. I can't even sleep late on my day off."

"Really?" Drew asked, "Have you ever thought about making your Saturday hours in the afternoon?"

"I actually toyed with the idea but truthfully, I enjoy getting in early and getting out early. Then I have the whole rest of the day to do whatever I want."

Emma placed an omelet in front of Sean, "Breakfast, dear."

Sean chuckled. "Thanks."

Emma placed salt and pepper in front of Sean. "Drew, how do you want your eggs?"

"Scrambled."

"You got it." She went back to cooking.

Sean got up and opened the fridge. He grabbed some orange juice and looked at Drew, "Want some?"

Drew nodded.

Sean grabbed two glasses, poured orange juice and walked back to the other side of the island. "There you go, kiddo." He sat back down and started eating.

"This is nice." Drew looked at his dad then at his mom, "It could be like this every morning."

"Well, not every morning. I wouldn't force your mother to make breakfast every day. There are some days when Tim Horton's coffee and a greasy bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich hits the spot."

Emma cringed, "Bacon."

Drew said, "I love bacon."

Sean smiled.

Emma set Drew's eggs in front of him, then turned off the stove.

Sean asked, "Aren't you eating?"

Drew didn't let her answer, "She eats this really gross cereal that takes like the box it's in."

That amused Sean, "Oh really?"

Emma scoffed, "It's not _that_ bad!"

Drew looked at his dad and mouthed, "It's awful."

Emma laughed, "I saw that."

After Sean finished his omelet, he went back upstairs to brush his teeth and finished getting dressed. When he came back down, he was without his duffel bag.

Emma looked at him, "Where's your bag?"

"Upstairs. I packed enough for a couple of days."

Drew smiled, "So you'll be back tonight?"

"If your mom allows it."

Emma smiled, "Of course I'll allow it."

"Good." Sean grabbed his coat and walked back over to Emma, "I should be home by 6-6:15."

"Okay." Emma walked over to the drawer closest to the refrigerator and grabbed a spare key, "For you, so you don't have to knock."

Sean smiled, "Thank you," They quickly kissed goodbye and Sean looked at Drew, "Have a good day at school, kiddo."

"I'll try."

Sean laughed, "Bye."

Emma watched him walk out and when Sean closed the door, Drew said, "This is the way it should always be."

Emma nodded, "I know, kiddo. I know."

* * *

Sean was in his office and shutting down for the day when his phone rang. He was tempted to ignore it but didn't want to lose a potential customer.

"Cameron's Custom Cars."

"Hello, is this Sean Cameron?"

Sean rolled his eyes. He wanted to get home to Emma and Drew, "Yes, it is."

"Oh hi, my name is Jordan Jackson and I'm Drake's second assistant."

Sean sat up straight in his chair, "Hello Jordan. How may I help you?"

"Kyle Lowry gave my boss your number and he'd like to have you work on one of his cars."

"Sounds good. What kind of car is it?"

"A 2019 Bentley."

Sean whistled, "Nice. I will need him or someone else to come in with the car so we can figure out exactly what he wants to do."

"That's not a problem. Is there any way you can do it after hours?"

"Definitely. If you need discretion, that's fine."

"Great! He's out of town this week but he'll be back the following week so how about we set something up when we're closer to his return."

"Sounds good." Sean wrote everything down. "I look forward to talking to you then, Jordan."

"Thanks, Mr. Cameron. Bye."

"Bye." Sean hung up and took a deep breath. "Holy shit."

* * *

When Sean keyed into the house, Emma was sitting at the computer in the corner of the living room.

"Hey, babe."

"Hey," Sean walked over to her and kissed her head, "Working late?"

"Yeah. Just straightening out some contracts. How was your day?"

"Well, it was pretty ordinary until the very end."

"Oh?" Emma spun around in her chair, "What happened?"

Sean sat on the arm of the loveseat, "Drake's second assistant called me."

"Oh my God, babe!"

Sean nodded. "He's out of town right now, but he'll be back next week. He wants me to work on his car."

Emma's eyes widened.

Sean smiled and nodded, "Yeah, this is a big deal."

She got up and hugged him so hard that they fell back onto the loveseat.

Sean laughed, "Whoa."

"Sorry." Emma tried to raise herself up but Sean pulled her back down.

"This is fine."

Emma smiled and kissed him. When she pulled away, she asked, "What would you like for dinner?"

"Anything, really. Don't go too crazy."

"I won't. Not on a weeknight." She laughed.

Sean asked, "Where's our boy?"

"He's doing his homework."

"Good."

Emma got up, "Dinner will be ready in like 20 minutes."

"Okay." Sean got up off the loveseat and followed Emma into the kitchen. "Do you mind if I watch you cook?"

"Of course not."

Sean leaned against the counter and looked at her, "You know what's funny?"

"What's that?"

"I wasn't even tempted to go home. My truck drove directly here." Emma turned and smiled. "How's April?"

Emma asked, "April?"

"For me to move in here."

Emma asked, "Are you sure?"

Sean nodded, "Positive."

Emma walked over to him and hugged him. "I love you."

He smiled and said, "I love you."


	15. Chapter 15

Emma called up the stairs to Drew, "Andrew, dinner's ready!" She walked back over to the table. "He will be so happy."

Sean smiled, "I hope so."

Drew walked down the stairs and walked into the kitchen, "Hey dad."

"Hey there. How was school?"

"It was okay." He sat down, "How was work?"

"Good." Sean corrected himself, "Very good."

"Oh?" Drew was curious.

"Looks like Drake definitely wants me to work on his car."

Drew nearly fell off his chair, "Are you serious? Did you see him? Did he come into the shop?"

Sean held up his hands and laughed, "No, one of his assistants called. Famous people have a lot of assistants."

"Kind of like aunt Manny?"

Sean nodded, "Exactly like that."

Drew asked, "What kind of car does he have?"

"A Bentley."

Emma rolled her eyes, "Of course he does."

"Well," Sean turned to her, "That's just one of his cars."

Emma shook her head. "I couldn't imagine having that much money."

Sean agreed, "Me either. Seems like it could be dangerous."

Emma set dinner down on the table and sat with her boys. "Oh, drinks."

"I got them," Sean stopped her and got up, "What do you want?"

Drew said, "I'll have some water."

"Me too."

Sean said, "Easy enough."

"So dad, when will you be working on Drake's Bentley?"

"Not sure exactly when but you'll be the first to know." He grabbed a pitcher of water out of the fridge and brought it back to the table. "Before I sit, are we all set?"

Emma looked at the table, "I believe we are, yes."

Sean sat down.

As they were about to eat, the doorbell rang. Emma shrugged her shoulders and got up, "I'll see who it is." Sean watched her walk to the front door and stood up when he heard Emma exclaim, "Oh my God!"

Drew looked toward the front door.

"Come in!"

Sean stayed at the table and saw the person walk in, "Wow, I wonder if her ears were burning."

"Guys, look who's here!"

Manny Santos walked toward the kitchen and spotted Sean. She stopped in her tracks, turned to Emma, and Emma nodded. "This makes me so happy. You have no idea." Manny walked up to Sean and hugged him, "It is so good to see you, Cameron."

"You too, Miss Santos." He pulled away and held out her arms, "How's our movie star doing?"

"Ugh, I needed a break and figured I'd hide out here but if you two–"

Emma interrupted her, "Nonsense. You know we have the suite downstairs."

"We? Are you living here now, Sean?" She wrapped her arms around Drew and kissed his head.

"Working toward it."

"Good, you two were apart way too long." She sat next to Drew, "And how are you, kiddo?"

"I'm glad to have my dad in my life."

Manny smiled, "The resemblance is uncanny, Sean. Really."

"Don't I know it."

Emma walked over to the stove, "Here, have dinner with us."

"I feel bad that I interrupted a quiet family moment."

Emma shook her head, "Don't be silly. You are family."

Manny smiled, "I'm thrilled you two found your way back to each other. You don't work without each other."

Emma smiled and placed Manny's dinner in front of her.

* * *

Dinner was raucous and Drew just watched as his parents and Manny told funny stories from their teenage years.

"Hold on," Sean held up his hands, "You purposely broke Paige's leg? What the heck did I miss when I went back to Wasaga?"

Emma joked, "You missed _a lot_."

Sean said, "Wow, last I heard Paige was in New York working in fashion."

Manny nodded, "She is. I saw her at fashion week in the fall. She's really doing well."

"Good to hear." Sean took a sip of his water and looked at his son, "You must be bored, huh?"

Drew shook his head, "No, I enjoy learning new things about you guys."

Emma laughed, "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, parents are usually boring but you have some interesting stories."

Manny looked over at Sean, "So how are you? Like really. I know you probably went through a lot overseas."

"I'm okay. I promise."

Manny smiled at him, "You're still adorable." She looked at Emma, "No wonder you can't resist him."

Sean laughed, and Drew shook his head.

"Sorry, kiddo. Are you horrified by the thought of your parents together like that?"

"No. I know they love each other."

Manny said, "Wow, you are not like every other 13-year-old."

Emma smiled, "No, he's definitely not."

Drew said, "I'm almost 14."

Manny nodded, "That's right. March 6?"

Drew nodded, then stood up, "Can I go up to my room? I have some reading to do."

Emma nodded, "Of course."

Drew brought his plate to the sink and then retreated upstairs.

Manny looked at Sean and Emma, "So when's the wedding?"

They both laughed.

"I'm serious."

Emma said, "Um, Manny, we have to get used to being back in each other's lives first."

"Oh, bullshit. You are in love with each other, always have been in love with each other and always will be in love with each other."

Sean nodded, "That is true."

Emma grabbed Sean's hand, "Well, we just decided that Sean will move in here by April."

"Wonderful then you can get married in June!"

Emma laughed, "That doesn't give us much time to plan."

Sean looked at her, "I'd marry you anytime, anywhere."

Emma turned to her, "Really?"

Sean nodded.

Manny smiled and clapped her hands, "I'm so excited!"

Sean held up his hand, "Manny, I still have to get a ring and propose and all that jazz. We can't just get married. I want to do this the proper way."

Emma smiled and said, "I never realized you were such a romantic."

He nodded.

Manny asked, "Can I still be excited?"

Sean and Emma looked at each other and nodded.

They left the table and went into the living room. Sean sat on the loveseat and watched Manny and Emma on the couch. He smiled, thinking back to junior high and high school.

Emma caught him and asked, "Why are you looking at us like that?"

"I'm just happy you're still close. It's nice to see." He stood up, "If you want to have a girls' night, I can always sleep downstairs."

Manny shook her head, "Sean, you guys have years of sex to catch up on."

Sean laughed, "Well, we're doing a pretty good job of that so far."

Emma gasped, "Sean!"

He smiled.

Manny squealed, "I knew it."

Emma shook her head and said to Sean, "You're paying for that later."

Sean grinned, "Promise?"

Drew peeked down the stairs, "Hey dad, can you come up here?"

"Sure, buddy." Sean walked over to the stairs, "I'll leave you two alone to gossip about me."

Emma and Manny laughed, and Sean jogged up the stairs.

Manny turned to Emma, "Tell me everything."

"Oh my God," Emma lowered her voice, "It's so good."

"I knew it."

"We had sex in his office at his shop."

Manny yelled, "Get out!"

Emma shushed, "Manny, not so loud."

Manny sighed and said, "I've always wanted to do that."

Emma smiled, "Didn't you do it in a movie?"

"Pretend sex on a set made to look like an office surrounded by 40 crew members is awful."

"It was really hot." Emma whispered, "He really knows what he's doing."

Manny smiled, "Oh yeah?"

Emma nodded, "I know it's because we're discovering each other again and that the spark will wear off eventually, but right now? I want to jump him every chance I get."

"How long had it been for you?"

"Way too long. I was almost as nervous as I was my first time."

"Aw, Em."

* * *

"Hey, kiddo." Sean walked into Drew's room, "Everything okay?"

Drew nodded.

Sean sat at the end of Drew's bed and Drew turned toward him in his computer chair. "So what's up?"

"Nothing. I just figured you'd want to get away from mom and Manny."

Sean laughed, "It's not that bad. But yeah, I told them they could hang out and that I'd sleep in the basement if they wanted."

"Like an adult slumber party?"

"Something like that."

Drew nodded, "So you were in the Army?"

Sean nodded, "Yep."

"Is that why you weren't here at all when I was a baby?"

Sean nodded again, "I was in Afghanistan."

"Wow," Drew sat back in his chair, "That must have been scary."

"It was, but I made it home." Sean smiled.

"Can I write about you?"

"Write about me?"

Drew nodded, "We have to write a paper about heroes and I want to write it about you."

"Is that the paper for Mr. Del Rossi's class?"

Drew nodded again.

"I would be honored."

"I just need to ask you some questions."

"Okay."

Drew blushed, "I have to think of them first."

Sean laughed, "That's fine. I can help you this weekend."

"Cool, thanks!"

A few minutes later, Sean walked downstairs and wiped a tear away.

Emma looked at him, concerned, and asked, "Babe? Are you okay?"

He nodded and sat down. "Our son has to write about a hero for his English class and he wants to write about me."

Emma smiled, "Well, that's adorable."

Sean nodded.

Manny stood up, "I'm going to bring my stuff downstairs and change out of these clothes. I've been wearing them since early this morning and I feel gross."

Emma said, "Take a shower. The showerhead down there is great."

Manny winked and walked to the basement door.

Emma walked over and sat on Sean's lap. "Are you okay?"

Sean nodded and wrapped his arms around her.

"Are you sure?"

Sean smiled and kissed her softly. When he pulled away, he said, "I'm sure."

"Good."

* * *

Sean and Emma watched TV together for an hour when Emma said, "Do you think Manny passed out down there?"

Sean laughed, "It's possible. It is a long flight from LA."

Emma got up, "I'm going to check up on her." Emma walked down to the basement and giggled. Manny had passed out on the bed, fully dressed. She hadn't even gotten into the shower.

Emma took off Manny's shoes and Manny stirred, "Thank you, Em."

"You're welcome."

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay."

Emma walked back upstairs and filled Sean in.

"Really?"

"Yep, fully dressed. I helped her get her shoes off."

Sean laughed.

"I was thinking about something." She sat back down next to Sean and cuddled against him.

"Yes?"

"Do you want to move here or should we get a new place that's ours together?"

"I wouldn't mind moving in here at all. Honestly."

"Okay, I just wanted to make sure."

"I like it here because you and Drew are here."

Emma smiled, "We would be in a new place too."

Sean chuckled, "You know what I mean."

"So we'll stay here." Sean nodded. "Perfect." Emma looked toward the stairs, "Speaking of Drew, I'm going to check on him. Wanna come?"

"You go ahead."

"Okay." Emma stood up and walked to the stairs. She looked over at Sean, "I'm not sure I've loved you more than I do right now."

Sean smiled, "The feeling is mutual."

* * *

Sean was already sitting up in bed and waiting while Emma was still getting ready. When she walked out of the bathroom, she was wearing only her panties.

"Um, Em?"

"Yes?"

"Are you trying to kill me?"

"Of course not." She climbed onto the bed and straddled him, "I would never do that."

"I guess we're not going to sleep yet."

Emma shook her head.

"I really have no problem with that."

"Good."

He looked at her and ran his hands up and down her back, "You're so beautiful."

Emma smiled.

"I'm so lucky." They kissed for a few moments and Sean rolled them so he was hovering over Emma.

"You really like taking charge don't you?"

Sean nodded, "Is that okay?"

"That's very okay."

Sean smiled and started kissing his way down her body. Within minutes, Emma was completely naked.

She looked at Sean and said, "You're wearing too much."

"I know."

She helped him get his pants off and she climbed on top of him again. she asked, "Can I be in charge this time?" Sean nodded. "Oh good."

* * *

"Wow."

Emma was lying on top of Sean, out of breath and sweaty. "That was so good." She kissed Sean's neck.

"Yeah, it was."

Emma raised her head and smiled at him, "We need a shower."

Sean raised an eyebrow. "Can we take a shower without fooling around?"

"Probably not but it's better for the environment." She rolled off him and lied on her back. "You know, to conserve water."

"True." Sean turned toward her and leaned down over her chest. He licked a bead of sweat that was running down between her breasts.

"Sean…"

He pulled away and smiled, "Yes?"

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing," He leaned down again and started kissing around her belly button.

"Mmm, you don't fight fair at all."

He looked at her, "I can't help it." He positioned himself between her legs and she spread them wider, "If I had my way, we would be naked together for like five straight days."

Emma looked down at him, "That would be amazing."

Sean nodded and started licking her.

"Oh, God." She started playing with his hair, "I love you so much."

* * *

After they showered, Sean and Emma finally got ready for bed.

"You were trying to make me scream."

Sean grinned, "Maybe."

"You're so bad."

"I know."

"You're also so good." He laughed. "Thank you for tonight."

"Thank you." He kissed her and walked out of the bathroom.

When Emma climbed into bed, she snuggled up against him, "So were you serious about getting married?"

"Of course I was." Emma smiled. "Obviously we can't rush into it but I'll marry you wherever you want."

"Good."

He kissed her hair. "I love you."

"I love you."


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's note:** **So I realized as I was going through this story that Manny does something almost exactly the same as she does in Food For Thought. I wrote the stories months apart, and I didn't mean to self-plagiarize but sometimes it happens. Oh well. Hopefully, it won't skew your view of this story. Thanks for understanding! **

* * *

Emma stayed home from work the next day to hang out with Manny. She volunteered to work in the office on Saturday while Sean and Drew were at Sean's shop, but her boss said there was no need and that she deserved a day off.

Emma asked, "So what shall we do today?"

Manny said, "Let's pamper ourselves!"

Emma smiled, "Sounds good to me."

"So, how was your night after I passed out?" Emma blushed. Manny sighed, then said, "I'm jealous. I miss sex."

"We had it right away."

"Oh?"

Emma nodded, "The day after he found out about Drew, Sean texted me and said he needed to see me, so I went to his place. We talked, and he asked questions about why I did what I did." She looked at Manny and said, "I thought he would yell at me the whole time, but he didn't."

"That's good."

Emma nodded, "I cried when I was trying to explain myself, and he comforted me. Can you believe it? He should have been livid, and instead, he worried about me."

Manny smiled.

"That's when we kissed for the first time. Sean pulled away just as I was kissing him back, and he stood up. He said everything was overwhelming him, and that's why he kissed me. I told him he kissed me because he loves me. He denied it at first, but then he gave in and admitted it."

"How did that make you feel?"

"Happy. Relieved. Shocked. But he also told me he was still angry with me for keeping Drew from him all these years."

"Understandable. Sean's emotions must have been all over the place."

Emma nodded, "So we talked for a little while. Then as I was about to leave, I couldn't move. Neither could he. After a few moments staring at each other, we started kissing at his door, and we couldn't pry ourselves away from each other." Manny smiled, "We kissed and fumbled around until we reached his room, and I asked him if he was sure he wanted to do it and said he had wanted to do it since we first saw each other again."

Manny asked, "How long had it been for you?"

"It was as if I were a virgin again." Manny nodded, "I told him I was nervous, and he promised that he would never hurt me."

Manny laughed, "And?"

"He was great. Sean made it all about me and was sweet."

Manny smiled, "He really loves you."

"I know."

"He's always loved you." Emma nodded, "And you're lucky he's forgiven you."

"I know. He really shouldn't have. At least not so soon. What I did to him and Drew was so wrong."

"You weren't thinking straight, and then you got in too deep." Emma nodded. "You know, he looks at you like he used to look at you."

"I know."

Manny smiled, "It's cute."

Emma smiled and said, "He told Drew that he fell in love with me in seventh grade."

"Aw, really?"

"In Miss Kwan's class during book report day."

Manny smiled, "Oh my God, when you got your period?"

Emma nodded. "Yep."

Manny shook her head, "That was quite a day."

"I know." Emma smiled then said, "Oh, I forgot to tell you. One of Drew's friends found out about the shooting, and they looked up a whole lot of articles about Sean."

"And how did Drew react?"

"You heard him last night; he thinks his dad is a hero."

Manny smiled, "He is a hero. I really cannot get over how much Drew looks like Sean. It's incredible."

"Tell me about it."

"It must have been quite a shock for Sean."

"It was, and I hate that he found out the way he did."

"So he followed you home from work?"

"He went to the office to see his agent, and yeah, he saw I was leaving, and he followed me. Sean told me it was because he thought I was keeping something from him."

"He saw Drew walk out of Degrassi?" Emma nodded, "That must have been quite a shock."

Emma shook her head and said, "I can't even imagine."

"Well, you can't change anything, and he's here now."

"I know." She stood up and said, "Okay, I will be right back. I will bring down a couple of sheet masks and some nail polish."

"Ooh, fun!"

* * *

Sean texted Emma at lunchtime.

"How's your girl's day going?"

Emma wrote back, "We are sitting here with matching sheet masks on our faces."

He smiled as he typed back, "That sounds nice."

"It is."

"I should be home on time."

"Good."

"Want me to bring home dinner tonight?"

"Nah, that's okay. I'll cook since I'm here all day."

"Okay, enjoy your day."

"Thank you." Emma put her phone down, looked at Manny, and said, "I really love that man."

Manny asked, "What?"

Emma laughed and shook her head. They couldn't understand each other with the masks on their faces. A few minutes later, they took them off. "I said I really love that man."

"And he really loves you." Manny started rubbing the serum into her face, "I need to find someone who loves me as much as Sean loves you."

"You will."

Manny whined, "When?" She flopped back onto the loveseat. "I hate being single. I'm lonely."

"I was lonely until a few weeks ago. You never know when it's going to happen."

"Do you ever wonder how things would have been if you told Sean about Drew right away?"

"Every single minute of every single day."

Manny sat up, "I just got an idea."

"What's that?"

"I think we should get you and Sean a hotel room this weekend."

Emma asked, "A hotel room? Why?"

Manny smiled and said, "So you can have loud and crazy sex without having to worry about me or Drew hearing you."

Emma laughed, "We do pretty well in the sex department already. Besides, we can always go to his apartment to do that."

"I know, but hotel sex is fun."

Emma laughed, "I wouldn't know."

"Well, I do. You're uninhibited because you'll never see anyone else, you have a variety of places you can do it."

"Emma smiled and said, Oh yeah?"

"Oh yeah." Manny nodded, "The bed, the bathroom counter, the desk, the chair, the other chair, the floor—"

Emma laughed, "Okay, I get it."

"And you can get room service."

Emma smiled, "That could be fun."

"Come on." Manny took out her phone, "I'll splurge for the room."

Emma shook her head, "Manny, I can't let you do that."

"Too bad because I'm doing it." She looked at Emma and grinned.

"Oh no, what's that look for?"

"We need to get you something killer to wear."

Emma asked, "Like what?"

"Sexy lingerie!"

Emma shook her head, "No."

"Yes!"

* * *

About an hour later, Emma was in the dressing room of a boutique and looking at herself in the mirror, "Manny, I am not walking out in this." She was wearing a two-piece, black faux leather lingerie set with black faux leather thigh-high boots that Manny picked out for her.

"Oh, come on! It's just me. No one else is going to see you." Emma stepped out of the dressing room, and Manny nodded. "Yes. Yes! You have to get this."

"Manny, this is way too much." Emma looked at herself and said, "I look like a dominatrix."

"I know, and Sean will love it." She looked around, "Maybe we could get you a whip too."

"No!" Emma laughed and looked down at herself, "I'm also going to be at least four inches taller than him in this get-up."

"That doesn't matter when you're horizontal."

Emma laughed and shook her head, "I can't get this entire outfit. Maybe I'll just get the boots."

"No, you're getting everything and I'm paying." Manny took out her wallet, "You look incredible, and this outfit was made for you."

Emma rolled her eyes, "Fine."

"Yay!" Manny clapped her hands together in excitement and said, "Sean's going to be blown away."

* * *

When Sean got home from work, Emma told him the plan to get a hotel room but didn't tell him about the new outfit.

"Oh yeah?"

Emma nodded and asked, "Would you be into that?"

Sean smiled, "Very. Yes."

"Good because we booked it already."

Sean laughed, "So I'll come home from work with Drew, and we'll head to the hotel?"

Emma nodded. "Yep. Manny volunteered to stay here with him."

"Well, I'll have to thank her." He looked around, "Where is Drew?"

"Upstairs, he's working on his questions for you."

"Ah, right."

Emma smiled and said, "Thank you for allowing him to do that paper on you."

"It's my pleasure. No one's ever called me a hero before."

"Um, excuse me, but I'm pretty sure I did after you saved my life."

Sean nodded, "That's true, but I didn't want to hear it then." He kissed her and pulled away smiling, "I'm so happy right now."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yep." He wrapped his arms around her and whispered, "I wish we could go upstairs right now so I could have my way with you."

Emma smiled, "You can have your way with me later."

Sean pouted, "I don't want to wait."

"Too bad." Emma quickly kissed him and pulled away, "Are you hungry?"

"Yes."

"Good," She walked towards the kitchen, "Dinner will be ready soon."

"Okay," Sean flopped onto the couch.

* * *

After dinner, Drew and Sean went up to Drew's room.

"So, do you have those questions for me?"

Drew nodded, "Yep."

"Okay." Sean walked over to the side of Drew's bed that was closest to his desk and sat down.

Drew looked at his dad and didn't say anything.

Sean asked, "Is something wrong?"

Drew shook his head, "No. I'm just nervous because I want this paper to be good."

Sean smiled, "It will be."

Meanwhile, downstairs, Emma hid her lingerie and boots in the closet in the basement. She figured there was no way Sean would find them down there. She walked back up to the kitchen, and Manny smiled at her. "Why are you grinning at me like that?"

"Because you're going to have a lot of crazy sex tomorrow night."

"Oh, really?"

"Sean's going to go nuts when he sees you in that outfit and those boots. Guys love that shit."

Emma shook her head, "Manny, don't make me regret this."

"Oh, stop. It's going to be great." Emma nodded. "I wonder how it's going up there."

"I think it's going okay. Drew really likes his dad."

* * *

Drew looked at Sean as he described his time in Afghanistan.

"So, you're lucky to be alive."

Sean nodded. "Yep. Some of my friends weren't so lucky, and others left seriously injured."

"Wow."

"But without the Army, I probably wouldn't have my shop. It forced me to grow up and not screw around."

"Yeah." Drew typed some stuff then looked at Sean, "I have one question about the shooting if that's okay?"

Sean nodded, "Sure."

"Okay, if you could do things differently, would you?"

Sean thought about it, then said, "If there were a way I could save Rick without anyone else getting hurt, I would. Otherwise, no."

Drew nodded and typed in Sean's answer.

Sean asked, "Is that all?"

"Yeah." Drew stood up, and Sean joined him, "Thanks, dad."

They hugged, and Sean said, "You're welcome, kiddo." He squeezed Drew and pulled away, "Your paper is going to be great."

"I hope so."

Sean smiled at his son and said, "I have faith in you."

Drew smiled and said, "Thanks."

"Well, I'll leave you to it."

"Okay."

Sean walked out of Drew's room, closed his door, and took a deep breath before he rejoined Emma and Manny downstairs. He walked down the stairs and looked into the kitchen where Manny and Emma were talking.

Emma asked, "How did it go?"

"I think it went well. He's a little nervous about the paper, but I told him it would be great." Sean yawned.

Emma looked at the microwave and said, "Wow, it's only 8:30."

Sean laughed, "I had a rough day today at the shop. I may go to sleep early." Emma pouted. "I mean, you could join me."

Manny laughed, "Oh, you two."

Sean said, "Sorry."

"It's fine. I'm going out anyway."

Emma asked, "You are?"

"Um, yeah, I'm meeting a friend out."

Emma narrowed her eyes, "You're meeting Jay for some fun."

Sean asked, "Hogart? How's he doing?"

Manny said, "Oh, you know Jay. He never changes."

"I haven't seen him in a few years. Ask him if he wants to work at my shop. I could use the help."

Manny asked, "Wait, really?"

Sean nodded, "Jay's a great mechanic. I tried to get him to work for me when I first opened, but he was at a job he liked and didn't feel right leaving." He looked at her, "Find out if things have changed, if they have, I'd be more than happy to have him work for me."

Manny smiled, "I will."

* * *

After Manny left, Emma and Sean relaxed together on the couch.

Sean joked, "I may pass out."

"That's okay. I'll just lie with you then."

He smiled and stroked her hair, "Okay."

Drew appeared halfway down the staircase, "Mom? Dad?"

Emma sat up, "Yeah?"

"I'm going to bed." He looked at Sean, "Up at 7?"

Sean shook his head, "You don't have to wake up that early. We can always grab breakfast on the way. But I need to be there by 8-10 - 8:15, so just make sure you're ready to go by 10 to eight, okay?"

Drew nodded and smiled, "I'm excited about watching you work."

Sean smiled at his son and said, "I'm glad to be taking you in."

"Um, what should I wear?"

Sean shook his head, "Don't even worry about that. I'll give you a uniform to wear."

Drew's eyes lit up, "Really?"

"Of course! You're going to be helping me, remember?"

"Cool! Goodnight!" He jogged back up the stairs.

Emma called out to him, "Goodnight!"

Sean smiled, "I'm glad he's excited about this."

Emma turned to him, "He loves you, you know."

"I love him too. I've never felt anything like it. It's amazing." Emma nodded. "You okay?"

Emma shook her head, "You should have had more time with him, Sean."

"Em, we're here now, and we can't change the past."

"I know. It's just…"

"What?"

"Sean, you should hate me. I didn't deserve your forgiveness so quickly. I did a terrible thing."

"You did, but you weren't malicious about it. You didn't hate me, right?"

"Of course not."

"I mean, sure, I get a little sad when I think about all that I've missed with him and with you, but I'm here now, and I won't miss anything ever again."

Emma stood up and held out her hand.

Sean smiled, grabbed it, and stood up, "Are we going upstairs?"

Emma nodded, "Yes. I'm going to delay your sleep for a little while. I hope that's okay."

"It's more than okay."

"Oh, good."

* * *

The next morning, Sean woke up and went straight to the bathroom. He didn't want to wake up Emma. He took a shower, and as he was getting dressed, she stirred.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, beautiful."

She didn't even open her eyes when she asked, "Are you sure you don't want me to make breakfast?"

Sean smiled, "I'm sure. Stay in bed, okay?"

She said, "Okay," cuddled into the blankets and was falling back to sleep within moments.

Sean giggled at her and finished getting dressed. He kissed her on the forehead and made his way back to the bathroom to brush his teeth. As Sean was walking down the stairs, he heard the shower. He peeked into Drew's room and saw that Drew had his clothes laid out. Sean smiled and walked downstairs. He went into the kitchen to grab a glass of water and waited for Drew to come downstairs.

Suddenly the basement door opened, and Jay Hogart was standing there.

"Dude!"

"I can't believe it." Sean smiled then said, "Well, okay, I can believe it."

They hugged, and Jay smiled, "So you and Emma are back together?"

"Yes."

Just then, Drew walked downstairs, and Jay looked at him, looked at Sean then looked back at Drew, "Oh my God."

Sean cleared his throat and said, "Jay, this is our son Andrew."

"Uh, yeah, I guessed that he was yours, given that he looks exactly like you did at 14."

Sean laughed, and Drew looked puzzled.

"Drew, this is Jay. He's an old friend of mine, your mom's and aunt Manny's."

Drew nodded when he realized Jay probably slept over with Manny.

Sean looked at his son, "I figured we'd stop off at Tim Horton's and pick up some breakfast on the way to work."

"Okay."

Jay laughed, "Starting the kid early?"

Sean smiled and said, "Drew wanted to see what I do at work."

"That's cool. How's everything going with the shop?"

"It's going great."

Drew said, "Dad's going to work on Drake's car."

Jay's eyes widened, "Really?"

Sean nodded, "Yep. His assistant called me this week."

"Dude, that's incredible!"

Sean said, "If you want to come and work for me, let me know."

"I will."

Sean looked at his phone and said, "Okay, well, we have to head out." He took a big gulp of water then put his glass in the sink. He looked at Jay, "Are you going to be okay here?"

Jay laughed, "Yes, I just needed some water."

"It was good to see you."

"Good to see you too." Jay looked at Drew, "And nice to meet you, Drew."

"Yeah, you too." Drew turned around and walked toward the entryway.

Jay lowered his voice, "Seany, it's uncanny."

"Don't I know it." Sean walked over to Drew, they got their coats and walked out.

Jay walked downstairs after he got his glass of water, and Manny woke up.

She stretched and asked, "Where did you go?"

"Upstairs to get some water. Um, Emma and Sean have a teenage son?" Manny nodded. "Did Sean just find out about him?"

"Yes."

"Wow. The resemblance is amazing. I couldn't believe it."

Manny agreed, "It is pretty incredible."

"I also can't believe Emma kept his kid from him."

"We all tried to talk her out of it, but you know how stubborn Emma is. Then she got in so deep it just became easier to keep the secret. Plus, she hadn't seen Sean this entire time." She sat up, "It's amazing how you can live in the same city as people you grew up with and never see them."

Jay shook his head, "I am floored."

"How do you think he felt?"

"Knowing Sean? I'm surprised he didn't blow up on her."

"He did at first, but he probably realized that he already missed a ton of time with Drew and that if he wanted to see him, he'd have to be nice to Em."

Jay looked at her, "We don't have a secret kid, do we?"

Manny shook her head and said, "Jesus, no."

"Okay, don't sound so horrified by the thought of having a kid with me."

Manny laughed, "Sorry."

* * *

When Emma woke up for the day, she heard voices downstairs. She put on her robe, and as she made her way down the stairs, she heard Jay's voice and smiled to herself. She walked toward the kitchen, and she said, "I should have known."

"Hey, Greenpeace." Emma laughed. "So Sean's son looks just like him."

"You met Drew?"

Jay nodded, "Yes, and I almost passed out. The resemblance is unbelievable."

"I know."

"Hopefully, Drew won't go through an Eminem phase like Sean did." All three of them laughed, thinking back to ninth grade. Jay asked, "Are you two getting married?"

"We're getting to know each other again."

Manny raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, like every night."

Emma shook her head, "Shush."

Jay took a sip of his coffee and asked, "Is Cameron a good dad?"

Emma nodded, "He's wonderful. Really."

"That's good."

"And he would have been wonderful if I had let him know years ago."

Jay nodded.

Manny changed the subject, "So what's the plan for later?"

"The shop is open until 12:30, and Sean usually sticks around until 1 to make sure everything is finished. They'll come home, and then I guess we can head over to the hotel."

Jay raised an eyebrow, "Hotel?"

Manny looked at Emma. "You should go ahead of him and change into the outfit there."

"Oooh, good idea."

Jay said, "This must be some outfit."

Manny smiled, "Oh, it is."

Emma asked, "Jay, are you going to stick around today?"

"Maybe."

"Okay. That's fine."

"Don't worry. I won't negatively influence your son."

Emma laughed, "You better not, or Sean will kick your ass."


	17. Chapter 17

Sean pulled up to the shop and Drew looked out the window.

"Wow, dad."

"Nice, right?"

Drew nodded, "It's great!"

Sean smiled then handed Drew the Tim Horton's bag with their breakfast in it, "Take this. I'll bring in the drinks."

"Okay."

They got out of Sean's truck, walked over to the main door of the shop and Sean unlocked it. "Go on inside, I'll be right there."

Drew walked into the shop and looked around. It was big, it was filled with cars, and Drew felt proud to have Sean as a dad.

Sean was unlocking the bay doors and headed back to the main door. He walked in and said, "Follow me." Drew did what he was told, and Sean walked him to his office. Sean unlocked his office and opened the door. "Here's my office. It's not very exciting."

Drew looked around.

Sean said, "Sit down and relax."

Drew sat in the chair in front of Sean's desk and he put their breakfast down in the middle of it.

Sean took Drew's drink out of the tray and placed it in front of him, "Your hot cocoa."

"Thanks."

Sean sat down and turned on his computer. "Right now, it's going to be boring for you while I get all the jobs in order and check the paperwork. So eat your breakfast. I'll show you the cool stuff after I finish this."

"Okay." Drew took a bite of his breakfast sandwich and heard voices.

"Hey, Sean."

"Morning, Pete." Pete was Sean's right-hand man and his best mechanic. "Pete this is my son, Drew."

Drew turned to look at Pete and Pete said, "Holy sh-" Sean narrowed his eyes and Pete continued, "Uh, cow. He's your clone."

Sean smile and said, "Yeah, I know. He's going to be hanging out with us today. He wanted to see where his dad worked and I thought that maybe you could show him some stuff while you work on the Grichuk car."

Drew looked at Sean and asked, "Randal Grichuk from the Blue Jays?"

Sean nodded, "One and the same."

Drew asked, "Did you meet him?"

"Yes, I did, but he won't be picking up the car when he's done. His wife will be. He's down in Florida for Spring Training."

Drew nodded, "Oh, right."

Pete smiled, "Drew, you can come and join me when you finish breakfast."

"Cool, thanks!"

"You got it."

Sean handed Pete a coffee, "Here you go."

"Thanks, man. How's the day looking?"

Sean nodded, "Busy."

"And you're still waiting to hear from that other famous dude, right?"

Drew said, "Drake?"

Pete laughed, "Yeah."

Sean said, "I think we'll be hearing from him this coming week."

Pete shook his head, "Incredible."

Sean stood up and grabbed a clipboard off the wall, "It's your work that made it possible."

"You're not giving yourself enough credit, boss. You did some nice work on Lowry's car too."

Sean smiled.

"Okay, let me get to it." Pete looked at Drew again and said, "I'll see you in a bit."

Drew nodded, "Okay."

Pete walked out and Sean walked over to his printer. "How's your breakfast?"

"Good. I really missed bacon."

Sean laughed.

* * *

Drew spent the first part of the morning watching Pete work on the Grichuk car. Sean smiled as he watched his son fully engrossed with what Pete was doing.

"Hey kiddo, wanna come over and watch your old man do some things?"

"Sure!" He looked at Pete, "Thanks for letting me watch you work."

"No problem."

Drew walked over to Sean and Sean walked him over to a car he was working on.

Sean raised the lift and they stepped under the car.

"So even though you own the place, you still work on cars?"

Sean nodded, "I still love working on cars and I am not much of an office guy."

Drew smiled and said, "Thank you for bringing me today."

"You earned it, kiddo."

Drew shrugged, "I just want you to be proud of me."

Sean smiled, "I'm really proud of how well you're doing in school lately."

After Sean showed Drew how to use some of the tools, he allowed Drew to do some work on the car he was repairing. Nothing too complicated but just enough that Drew felt like he was contributing.

"That's good!" Sean smiled, "You're picking this up pretty quickly."

Drew smiled.

"Now," Sean held out his hand and Drew handed him the wrench. "You're going to use this," Sean gave him a smaller wrench, "And you're going to twist this a few times." He pointed at a bolt. Drew started and Sean said, "Exactly, just like that." When Drew finished, Sean smiled at him, "Good job."

"Thanks."

* * *

Drew sat in Sean's office as Sean was finishing up work for the day. After doing some work on his computer, Sean sat back in his chair and said, "All done." Sean shut off his computer and stood up, "So, did you have a good day?"

Drew nodded, "I did. I had fun working on the car with you."

Sean smiled, "Good, I'm glad."

Drew stood up, "This is a really cool place, dad. And the guys are great."

Sean nodded, "Yeah, I think I did a pretty good job hiring this crew."

Drew smiled, "So I'm going to hang out with Aunt Manny and that Jay guy while you and mom are out?"

"Yeah, I hope you don't mind."

Drew shook his head, "I don't mind."

"Okay, good." Sean grabbed Drew's coat to him and grabbed his own.

They walked out of the office and toward the front door of the shop.

"I get that you love Mom and mom loves you. And that you want to spend time alone together."

Sean smiled and asked, "Speaking of love, did you ever find out who left the rose on your locker?" He locked the shop door.

Drew shook his head, "I don't know for sure but I think it was this girl Olivia."

Sean raised an eyebrow, "And you're not interested in her?"

Drew shrugged, "I'm not interested in anyone yet."

Sean smiled, "Well, don't sweat it. It'll happen and when it does, it'll be great, I promise."

Drew nodded, "I hope so."

* * *

Emma checked into the hotel and got the room ready for Sean's arrival. She texted him, "Let me know when you're on the way."

Sean looked at his phone and smiled. He typed back, "I just dropped off our son so I should be there in 10 minutes."

Emma checked herself in the mirror and shook her head, "I cannot believe I'm doing this." Her phone buzzed and she read Sean's message. "Okay, I can do this."

About 15 minutes later, Sean keyed into the hotel room and looked around, "Em?"

Emma yelled from the bathroom, "I'm in here. Make yourself comfortable on the bed."

Sean smiled, "Oh, I will." Sean sat on the bed slipped off his work boots and moved up toward the headboard. He lied back and put his hands behind his head. After a few moments, he asked, "Em, what are you doing in there?"

Emma was looking at herself in the mirror and checking the outfit, "I'll be out in a second."

"Okay."

When she opened the door, Sean's mouth dropped, "Um, Emma?"

"Yes, Sean?"

He sat up, "Holy shit."

"It's too much, isn't it..."

Sean shook his head, "No. God, no. I love it."

Emma smiled, "Oh yeah?" She turned around for him.

Sean nodded, "Wow. You look incredible." He looked her up and down, "Those boots are amazing."

"You like?"

He smiled and said, "I _love_. Just don't stand next to me in them."

Emma giggled and climbed onto the bed. "I won't."

He raised his eyebrow and said, "No wonder why you wanted to come here."

She straddled him and he sat up to kiss her. After a few moments, Emma pulled away, "You're wearing too much."

He nodded and said, "You're right."

She unbuckled his belt, unbuttoned and unzipped his pants and she smiled at him. "We're going to have a lot of sex today."

"Damn right we are." He took off his shirt and helped Emma get his pants off. He looked her up and down and said, "Keep those boots on."

Emma smiled, "Okay."

* * *

"Oh my God." Sean put his hands on his head.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes." Emma laughed. "Em, that was amazing."

"It definitely was."

"And those boots. You need to break them out like once a month."

"Okay, but I think I need to take them off now. My toes are pinching a little." She laid back and unzipped one of the boots.

He said, "Oh God, even that's hot."

"Oh?" Emma took the first one off then slowly unzipped the other. "You like this?"

Sean went up on one elbow and watched her, "Did Manny talk you into this?"

"Yes."

"I'll have to thank her."

Emma got the boots off and Sean climbed on top of her. She asked, "Are you ready for another round?"

Sean nodded, "Oh yes. We have a lot of time to make up for."

"We'll need to have lots and lots of sex then."

He smiled and said, "Like a decade worth of sex."

Emma smiled and held onto his shoulders, "I love you."

Sean leaned down, kissed her then said, "I love you."

* * *

After their second round of lovemaking, Sean was stroking Emma's hair while she rested her head on his chest.

"Em?"

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course." She sat up and turned to him, "Is everything okay?"

Sean nodded, "Everything is great. I'm the happiest I've ever been." She smiled. He continued, "I was just wondering if you ever thought about having another baby."

"Since you've been back in our lives, I've thought about having another baby nearly every single day."

Sean smiled and asked, "Really?"

She nodded, "I'd love to experience another pregnancy and have you by my side the whole time."

Sean asked, "How do you think Drew would react to a baby sister or brother?"

"Knowing him he'd be thrilled because that would mean he'd get to move into the basement."

Sean smiled, "It is really nice down there."

"I was actually thinking about giving him the room down there for his birthday. He would love to have some freedom. I could turn his room into an office so I can work from home more and we could turn the lounge area in the attic into a nursery."

"I really can't wait to marry you."

"Oh yeah?"

Sean nodded, "Yeah. Because then we can start trying for a baby."

Emma shrugged, "We could start trying now. There's no guarantee I'm going to get pregnant right away."

"You did with Drew."

"Good point."

Sean caressed her face, "Let's just enjoy each other's company, for now, okay?"

She nodded and smiled, "Okay." She motioned toward the bathroom, "There's a really nice tub in there. Wanna try it out?"

Sean smiled and said, "Lead the way."

* * *

"We are going to sleep well tonight."

Sean laughed as he climbed into the bed, "I had a fun time."

Emma joined him and smiled, "Me too."

Sean asked, "Wanna talk until we fall asleep?"

"Yes because I want to hear about your day with our son."

"Okay." They got into a comfortable position and Sean told the story of his day, "Drew was very interested in what I was doing and I taught him how to use a few tools."

"Oh yeah?"

He nodded, "Yep. He even asked if he could work for me someday."

"Really?"

Sean nodded, "Yep. He really liked it and I was so thrilled that he did."

Emma smiled, "What did the guys all think when they saw him?"

"Oh they couldn't believe the resemblance and they were all really great with him. When I had to look at some paperwork, one of my best guys Pete, let Drew watch him mod a Blue Jays player's car."

"Drew must have been so excited."

"He was."

Emma smiled and said, "I'm really happy that you guys are getting along."

"Well, again, it's all new and I'm not wearing the disciplinarian hat. Once that happens, we may butt heads."

Emma nodded.

He looked at her and smiled, "I still can't believe that get up you were wearing earlier."

Emma giggled.

"You looked so hot. I think I got hard the second you walked out of the bathroom."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. You're beautiful anyway but wow, that was incredible."

"Well, you know you're pretty hot yourself." Sean scoffed and Emma continued, "You are. I still don't understand how you were single."

He shrugged, "I was busy with the job and I guess I could never commit to anyone."

"How many women have you seriously dated?"

"One? Two? My last relationship wasn't even really serious. At least not on my end. And I felt bad because she was really broken up about it when I ended things."

"How long ago was that?"

"About a year, year and a half ago."

"Oh yeah?"

Sean nodded, "I had a hard time committing to anyone because I was still hung up on you. There were times when I wanted to reach out and see how you were doing but I'd always chicken out. Maybe if I had, we would have gotten together sooner."

Emma shook her head, "This is all my fault. I should have told you right away. Or at least when I knew you were back home and you were safe." She held his hand and said, "Again, I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you."

He smiled and kissed her, "I know you will."

* * *

The next morning, Sean woke up and watched Emma as she slept. He propped himself up on one elbow, reached over and began to stroke her hair. After a few moments, she woke up smiling.

"Good morning, beautiful."

Emma opened her eyes, "Good morning, handsome."

"How did you sleep?"

"Great, you?"

"Very well." He caressed her face, "Would you like to order some breakfast?"

Emma shook her head, "Not yet."

"Oh? Not hungry?"

She smiled and said, "Not for food."

Sean raised an eyebrow, "Miss Nelson, what are you hungry for?"

She stuck her hand into his underwear, "Well, Mr. Cameron, I guess you can say I'm hungry for you." Sean groaned and Emma smiled at him. "Are you okay?"

Sean nodded as Emma moved her hand. "This is a great way to wake up."

"Lie back." Sean got on his back and Emma sat up, "I'm going to take care of you this morning."

"Oh, alright."

* * *

After Sean and Emma had their fun they ordered breakfast and had a picnic on the bed.

"I had a great time last night and this morning."

Sean smiled, "Me too." Emma looked at him and Sean asked, "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I guess it's because I love you so much."

"Oh yeah?"

She nodded, "Yes. And I want to marry you as soon as possible."

Sean smiled, "Well, I want to get you a really nice engagement ring first."

Emma leaned forward and kissed him, "Did we agree to get married?"

"No, we agreed that we want to get married. I still want to do all the traditional things that come along with it. Like proposing to you, being engaged and then getting married."

Emma nodded, "Okay."

"I also still need to move into your house."

"I don't want to wait until April and I don't care how it looks to other people. We should have been together as a family this entire time."

Sean smiled, leaned forward and kissed her, "I love you."

* * *

Jay and Manny took Drew out for breakfast at a diner.

"So," Jay looked at Drew, "What's it like having your dad in your life?"

"It's pretty cool. I like him a lot."

Manny smiled.

Drew asked, "You all have known each other since Degrassi?"

Jay and Manny nodded.

"That's a long time."

Jay joked, "It sure is."

Drew took a sip of his drink then asked, "Why aren't you two together?"

Manny said, "Well, there are a lot of reasons."

Drew looked at them and said, "So you just have sex but don't love each other?"

Jay almost spit out his drink.

Manny looked at Drew, "We care about each other but we're at different places in our lives right now."

Drew shrugged, "So you may get together at some point?" They both nodded, "Don't you think you've wasted enough time? My parents sure did."

Manny asked, "How did you get to be so wise, Drew?"

He shrugged, "I guess I'm just observant."

Jay asked, "So what did you think of your dad's shop?"

Drew's face lit up, "I loved it. It's pretty impressive."

Jay nodded, "That's great. Any interest in becoming a mechanic?"

"Yes. I'm not really into school and can't picture myself ever going to university."

Manny said, "Never say never. Things may change in a couple of years."

"I guess."

Jay said, "But it's always good to have a skill like that in case the university thing doesn't work out for you. And your dad is one of the best mechanics I know."

Drew nodded and smiled.

* * *

Emma whined as she zipped up her bag, "I don't want to leave."

"Neither do I." Sean wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her shoulder from behind. "This was nice."

Emma turned around, "It was more than nice."

Sean smiled, "It was." He kissed her and pulled away, "We can still have a nice time at the house."

"True."

"I really love your house."

"Soon it will be our house."

Sean smiled, he kissed her again quickly and let go of her waist. "Come on. Let's go home and see our son before Jay corrupts him."

Emma laughed and said, "Okay."


	18. Chapter 18

Manny asked Drew, "How's the paper going?"

"I'm done."

"Oh." Manny smiled and asked, "Do you want me to look it over?"

"Would you?"

"Sure! Go get it."

"Great!" Drew jogged up the stairs to retrieve his paper.

Jay said, "I still cannot get over how much he looks like Cameron. It's like being transported back in time."

Manny laughed, "I know."

Drew came back downstairs, "Here it is."

"Okay," Manny took it from him, "Want me to go somewhere else to read it, and you can hang out here with Jay?"

Drew nodded.

Manny smiled, "I'll be back." She walked to the basement stairs, "Behave boys."

Jay said, "Come on, I won't corrupt the kid."

Manny laughed, then walked downstairs.

About 10 minutes later, Manny came upstairs, and Drew looked at her. "Is it bad?"

"No, Drew, it's great. Honestly."

Drew exhaled, "Good."

She handed it back to him, "I see an A in your future, kiddo."

Drew scoffed and said, "That would be a first."

Manny laughed, "So you're more like your dad than your mom when it comes to school?"

"Grandpa made me get a tutor, and my grades are going up."

"Well, your grandpa should be happy with this paper."

"Good." Drew stood up, "I'm going up to my room."

"Okay, kiddo."

He walked to the foot of the stairs and said, "Thanks for last night and today. I had fun."

"You're welcome."

Jay smiled as he watched Drew walk up the stairs. "Come here, Santos."

"Yes?" She sat next to him, and he wrapped his arm around her, "What do you want?"

"Nothing. I just wanted you to sit with me."

"Oh."

He said, "I've had a nice time today."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. And I even had a nice time with the kid."

Manny turned to him, "My godson is pretty cool."

"Godson, really?"

She nodded, "Yep."

Just then, the front door opened, and Sean and Emma walked in.

Emma said, "Hey there."

"Welcome back. Have fun?" Jay smirked.

Sean rolled his eyes and looked around, "Is Drew upstairs?"

Manny stood up and said, "He just went back up to his room."

Emma took off her coat, "Everything was okay?"

Manny nodded, "Everything was great. He finished his paper about you, and I read it."

Sean asked, "And?"

"It's a great paper, Sean. Really."

Sean smiled.

Emma asked, "So should we order pizza or Chinese food?" She looked at Jay, "I assume you're staying?"

"Uh, I guess?"

Sean said, "Stay, man. We'll have some fun."

Jay smiled, "Okay."

Sean looked at Jay and asked, "Wanna see the rest of the house?"

"Sure."

Emma said, "Wait! What about food?"

Sean answered, "I'm up for anything."

Manny said, "Let's just get pizza."

Sean smiled and walked over to the stairs. "We'll be back in a bit."

Jay followed Sean up the stairs, and Sean gave him the tour of the rest of the house. Once they got up to the master bedroom level, Sean sat on the bench in front of the bed.

Jay said, "Dude, you're a dad."

Sean nodded, "Yep."

"So what was your first reaction?"

"Shock then anger. I first saw Em when she showed me an apartment. My regular realtor was ill and she was filling in. You cannot imagine my surprise when I saw her."

"I can imagine."

"Yeah, it was a little taken aback when I saw her and it was kind of awkward because we hadn't seen each other since the morning after we conceived Drew. We didn't say a lot, it was strictly business and a couple of days later, I was going to her office to meet with my realtor but when I saw Emma leaving, I followed her instead."

"You did?"

Sean nodded, "It felt as if she was keeping something from me. That's when I saw Drew walking out of Degrassi. I couldn't believe it. The resemblance was unbelievable."

"When did you two sleep together?"

"When I came back here for the weekend before I went to Afghanistan. I stayed with Emma and her family. On the last night, she snuck me down to her room and it happened. If she hadn't gotten pregnant, it probably would have been our little secret."

"Wow." Jay looked at him. "Wait, she was still with that Damien dude, right?" Sean nodded and Jay said, "I can't believe Emma would keep your kid from you."

Sean shrugged, "She explained everything, and I forgave her."

"You're a better man than me, Cameron."

"Well, we already knew _that_, Hogart." He winked at Jay.

"Very funny." Jay looked around, "This is a really nice house. You're smart wanting to move in here."

"Em and I want to get married, and I want to be here with my son."

"Do you think you two are going to have another kid?"

Sean nodded, "We've talked about it, and we both want at least one more."

"Wow." Jay looked out at the patio, "Emma must make good money."

"She's one of the best real estate agents in Toronto."

"Good for her."

Sean nodded then pointed at the lounge part of the top floor and said, "Em said we could make that the nursery, and we'll give Drew the basement bedroom."

"Drew will love that. What 14-year-old doesn't want to be left alone." Jay looked at Sean, "He's a good kid, really. I enjoyed spending time with him."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes, even though it's a trip looking at him. He looks so much like you." Jay laughed and said, "Especially when he rolls his eyes or is annoyed."

Sean laughed, "Yeah, I did that a lot when I was younger."

* * *

Emma ended her call with the pizza place and said, "Okay, pizza will be here in 20-30 minutes."

Manny smiled, "So…"

Emma lowered her voice, "It was amazing."

"Yeah?"

"He _really_ knows what he's doing."

Manny giggled, "Well, that's good."

"And the sex just keeps getting better and better." Emma sat down at the dining table, "I'm getting more comfortable with my body."

Manny joined her and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Well, you know I have my c-section scar and some stretch marks in places."

"So?"

"So, I'm kind of self-conscious about them."

"You shouldn't be. It happens to lots of women."

She nodded, "I know." Emma continued, "Sean said they're barely noticeable and that they happened when I was pregnant, so they're beautiful because I carried and gave birth to Drew."

Manny smiled, "He always knows what to say."

Emma nodded and said, "He does." Then she smiled and said, "I love the man he's become. He's wonderful with Drew, and he's stepped into fatherhood so well."

"And he loves you."

Emma raised an eyebrow and said, "Speaking of love and men, what's up with you and Jay?"

Manny shrugged, "Oh, you know us. It's nothing serious."

Emma nodded, "Uh-huh."

They heard the guys heading down the stairs.

"Time to change the subject." Manny looked over at the stairs and smiled at Jay as he made his way to the kitchen.

He narrowed his eyes and asked, "What's that look for?"

She asked, "I can't look at you?"

"I guess?"

Sean laughed, "When's the pizza arriving?"

Emma said, "20-30 minutes."

"Cool." He walked over to her and kissed her hair. "Anyone else want something to drink?" He walked over and opened the fridge.

Jay asked, "Have any beer?"

Emma said, "Ooh, I don't think we do." She turned to Sean, "We'll have to go shopping and get some of that stuff for you."

Jay stood up, "Pizza's not coming for 20-30 minutes? I'm going on a beer run."

Manny jumped up, "I'll go with you."

"Okay." They went to the front door, and Sean and Emma looked at each other.

Sean asked, "Why does it seem like they want to get away from us?"

Emma laughed, "I don't think that's it."

"Wanna cuddle on the couch until the pizza arrives?"

She nodded and said, "Of course."

They walked over to the couch together, and Emma cuddled up against Sean who wrapped his arm around her.

"This is nice."

Sean smiled and said, "It is nice. This whole weekend has been nice."

Emma smiled and rested her head on his chest.

Sean said, "I like just being with you. It relaxes me."

"Oh yeah?"

He nodded and said, "I like that we can just sit together and not have to talk."

"We're comfortable with each other."

"Yep. We fell back into everything with ease."

"I still can't we slept with each other so quickly."

Sean laughed, "Yeah, I had to have you that night."

Emma smiled.

A few moments later, Drew called down the stairs, "Mom? Dad?"

Emma called up to Drew, "We're here!"

Drew jogged down and stepped into the living room, "Hi."

Emma sat up and said, "Hey, kiddo, how was your time with Jay and Manny?"

"It was fun. Jay's pretty cool."

Sean smiled, "Yeah, he is."

Drew looked around and asked, "Where are they?"

Emma said, "They went out to get some drinks."

Sean said, "And the pizza will be here soon."

Drew nodded, "Cool." He looked at Emma, "Mom, can you come upstairs?"

"Sure, is everything okay?"

"Yes. I just want to show you something."

Emma stood up, "Okay," She turned to Sean, "I'll be right back."

Sean smiled and said, "Take your time."

Emma followed Drew up the stairs and into his room. "So, Manny said you finished the paper on your dad."

"That's what I wanted to show you."

Emma next to Drew's bed and Drew handed her the paper.

"I don't think I can stay here while you read it, so I'm going to go downstairs and hang with dad."

Emma nodded, "Okay. I'll come down when I'm done." She sat at his desk and started reading the paper.

Drew walked down the stairs, and Sean asked, "Is your mom reading the paper?"

Drew nodded.

"So we haven't spoken since yesterday afternoon."

Drew nodded again.

"Did you enjoy hanging out with Aunt Manny and Jay?"

"Yeah, Jay's pretty cool."

Sean smiled and asked, "Can I ask you another question?"

"Sure."

"Are you sure you're okay with me moving in here?"

Drew nodded, "Yes."

"Because I know it all happened pretty quickly, and honestly, you barely know me, so if this is too much for you, please tell me."

Drew shrugged and said, "Sure, it's been quick, but I felt like I knew you my whole life after the first night we met."

Sean's eyes teared up, "Yeah?"

Drew nodded, "Yeah. And you're better than I imagined."

"Really?" Sean wiped his eyes and smiled. "Wow."

"I'd lie in bed a lot of nights, and I'd imagine what it would be like to meet you."

"I'm sorry I wasn't around."

Drew shrugged, "It's not your fault. You really had no idea I existed?"

Sean shook his head, "Nope. Not one inkling. If I did, I would have come to see you much sooner. When I saw you, I couldn't believe it."

"Mom said you were pretty mad."

Sean nodded, "I was because I missed so much time with you, but as I told her last night, I don't plan on missing any more time with you." He smiled at his son and said, "You're stuck with me, kiddo."

Drew smiled back and said, "Good."

Sean asked, "Should we hug it out?"

"Okay."

Emma walked down the stairs and saw Drew and Sean hugging, and she wiped tears off her face.

Drew noticed her and asked, "Mom, are you okay?"

She nodded, "I'm fine."

"So, what did you think?"

"Drew, I loved it. It's the best thing you've ever written."

"Aunt Manny thinks I'll get an A."

Emma smiled and said, "I think you will too."

"Okay." He turned to his dad, "Would you like to read it?"

Sean said, "Of course!" He stood up and looked at Emma, "Where is it?"

"On Drew's desk."

"Okay, I'll be back."

Sean climbed the stairs two steps at a time and went into Drew's room. He grabbed the paper and sat at Drew's desk.

Emma smiled at Drew, "So what would you like to drink with dinner tonight?"

"Just water."

"Okay." Emma walked over to the kitchen and said, "Might as well set the table."

Drew walked over and said, "I can help." Emma reached out to touch his forehead to check if he had a fever, and Drew laughed, "Mom, I'm fine."

"Just checking."

"I promised Dad I'd behave so I can go to his shop again."

"Oh yeah?" Drew nodded. "You like your dad, don't you."

Drew nodded again, "I'm glad he's here."

Emma smiled, "So am I."

* * *

Sean wiped away tears as he was reading Drew's paper. When he finished, he left it on Drew's desk. Sean walked over to the washroom and splashed water on his face. He didn't want to look like a mess in front of everyone. As Sean made his way down the stairs, Manny and Jay walked in with both the pizza and the beer.

Sean asked, "Did you pay for the pizza?"

Jay said, "Yes, I did. We got here at the same time as the delivery guy."

"Great, thanks." Sean grabbed a box and walked it over to the kitchen island. Jay followed him with the other box, and Manny walked the beer over to the fridge.

Emma looked at Sean and asked, "Everything okay?"

Sean smiled and nodded, "Yes. Everything is better than okay."

"Good." She kissed his nose and opened one of the pizza boxes. "Okay, everyone, take what you want."

When they all sat down at the table, Drew asked his dad, "So what did you think?"

"I thought it was excellent, kiddo. It made me cry."

"I'm sorry."

Sean shook his head, "In an 'I'm so proud of my son' kind of way."

Drew smiled, "Oh, okay."

Jay took a sip of his beer. "I'm the only one who hasn't read this paper."

Manny leaned over and asked, "Aw, do you feel left out?"

"Kinda."

Drew looked over at him and said, "You can read it too if you want to."

Jay held up his hand, "I was just kidding. Me and school never mixed anyway."

Sean looked at Emma and asked. "Shall we discuss the thing we were talking about earlier?"

Emma laughed, "Refresh my memory because, to be fair, we talked about a lot of things this weekend."

"About the basement."

Emma nodded, "Ah, yes." She looked at Drew, "Sweetie, for your 14th birthday, we think you should move down into the suite in the basement."

Drew nearly fell off his chair, "Are you serious?"

Both Sean and Emma nodded. Emma continued, "Now, of course, this is only happening if you keep up the good work at school because one sign of bad behavior, and you'll be back upstairs."

"I promise I'll behave. Dad already told me that if I keep up the good work and stay out of trouble, I can go into work with him again."

Sean said, "That's right."

Emma said, "So it's settled."

Drew nodded.

Jay looked at him and said, "Congrats, buddy."

Manny smiled, "Yeah, that is a great space. I would have loved to have privacy like that when I was 14."

"Um, excuse me," Emma joked, "We were in my basement when we were 15."

"No offense, Em, but downstairs is _so_ much better than your old room."

"Good point."

Sean looked at Emma and said, "We have some good memories in your old room."

Emma smiled.

Drew asked, "Is that where you conceived me?"

Sean took a drink, and Emma took a bite of her pizza.

Drew shook his head.

* * *

After dinner, Drew went up to his room while Manny, Jay, Sean, and Emma remained at the table.

Jay looked at Emma, "He's quite a kid, Em."

She smiled, "I know."

"You did a good job with him."

"Thank you."

Sean grabbed her hand and smiled at her.

Emma looked at Jay and asked, "Are you sleeping over again tonight?"

"No, I have to go back to my place and get up early for work."

She nodded.

"I think I'm going to give them two weeks notice because I want to work for Seany."

Sean asked, "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"I'd be happy to have you." He leaned forward and joked, "You just want to be around when Drake brings his car in, right?" Jay winked at him. "Seriously, man, it's gonna be great."

"I know."

Emma asked Manny, "How long are you staying in Toronto?"

"Until next weekend, I have a new project starting the following week."

"Oh yeah?"

Manny nodded, "Yep. A pilot they're hoping will be picked up to run mid-season. We'll see what happens."

Emma smiled and said, "That's great!"

Sean nodded, "Yeah, I hope it works out."

Jay was silent.

Emma looked around and said, "So, should we watch a movie or something?"

Sean said, "Sure. Then I can head home afterward."

Emma looked at Sean and asked, "You're going home tonight?"

He nodded, "I have to get to work early tomorrow."

"Oh, right, it's Monday."

"Plus, I'm running out of clean clothes, so I need to do laundry and I have some things to do at the apartment."

Emma nodded and took a drink.

He laughed, "I almost forgot what day it was."

Jay asked, "Are Mondays busy for you?"

"Not particularly, but I like to have all the paperwork straightened out and line up the jobs for the week, so I go in early and do all that before the guys start showing up."

Jay nodded, "That makes sense."

Emma asked, "Have you ever thought about hiring someone to do that for you?"

Sean shrugged, "Not really. I like doing it. Plus, I have a system that works and I think someone else would screw it up."

Emma took another sip of her drink.

* * *

When 9 o'clock arrived, Sean stood up, "Okay, I have to head out." He walked over to the stairs, "I'll be back in a few."

Manny, Jay, and Emma were sitting in the living room.

Jay looked at Manny and said, "I'd better get going too." He stood up and stretched, "I'll be back." He walked toward the basement stairs, "I'm just going to make sure I have everything."

Manny nodded.

As soon as he went downstairs, Emma whispered, "What's really going on with you two?" Manny shrugged. "Do you still love him?"

"I think I always will, but he's here, and I'm in L.A. 99% of the time. It just wouldn't work."

Emma shook her head, "This is why you're single, you know."

Manny nodded, "I know."

"Is it wrong that I'm disappointed about Sean going home tonight?"

Manny smiled, "No."

"Okay, good because I am. I understand why he needs to go home, but I like having him here."

"Soon, he'll be here all the time."

Emma nodded and said, "I know."

Sean came down the stairs and asked, "Where's Jay?"

Manny joked, "I think he got lost downstairs."

"Hilarious," Jay walked over to her. He looked at her and said, "Walk me to my car."

"Okay."

Jay said, "Bye, Em. Thanks for the hospitality."

"You're welcome."

Manny and Jay walked outside. Sean walked over to Emma and wrapped his arms around her waist. "This was another good weekend."

Emma smiled and said, "Just good?"

He smiled and said, "Fantastic."

"That's better."

They kissed, and Sean said, "Have a good night."

"You too."

He put on his coat and grabbed his bag. He was about to open the front door, but he turned around and looked at Emma. "I love you."

"I love you."

He smiled and walked out.

Emma took a deep breath and sat down on the couch. A few moments later, Manny walked in and locked the door.

"Em? Are you okay?"

Emma nodded.

"Liar."

"I don't know. Maybe I'm tired."

Manny smiled, "Could be from all that sex you had this weekend."

Emma laughed, "True."

"He loves you. He adores you. You know that."

Emma nodded. "I know."


	19. Chapter 19

The next morning, Sean was in his office reconciling some paperwork when Jay walked in.

Sean asked, "Did you quit already?"

"Forget two weeks' notice, I want to work here."

Sean smiled, "Wow, okay. I wasn't expecting you today, but I'm sure I can find something for you to do."

Jay sat down across from him and smiled, "So, you and Emma."

"Yes?"

"I still can't believe you forgave her this quickly."

"I didn't want to waste any more time, and I wanted to get to know my son."

"I get that but what I don't get is why you are jumping into a relationship with her so quickly."

Sean looked at him and asked, "Are you trying to discourage me?"

"I'm not. I'm just wondering why."

"I love her, man. I've always loved her. That's why none of my other relationships have worked out."

"If it were me, I would have made her wait a little longer."

"Well, you're not me."

Jay nodded. "Okay, dude. You do you."

Sean stood up, "Come on, I'll introduce you to the guys."

* * *

Emma had two showings and they were across town from each other so she spaced her appointments far enough that she wouldn't be late for the second one. One property was a multi-unit house that she was showing to a previous client and the second was a three-level, semi-detached house in the Beaches neighborhood. If she sold that one, she'd get an incredible commission.

She texted Sean, "Good morning. I hope you have a good day."

Sean texted back, "You too."

Emma looked at her phone, puzzled and said to herself, "He's probably busy."

She put her phone away, made sure she had her paperwork in order and headed to the first property.

* * *

After work, Sean was in his apartment gathering his clothes so he could do some laundry. He was lucky enough to have a stacked washer and dryer in his unit and he could do laundry while he was watching TV without having to leave his place. It came in handy on this particular night because Sean felt like he needed to be alone. He didn't call or text Emma. His mind was racing and he was feeling a little out of sorts. This would happen from time to time as a result of his experience in Afghanistan. His therapist gave him some things to do if he was feeling this way but a lot of times Sean would just retreat, stay by himself and ride through it. He would usually feel better after a couple of days.

This didn't feel like a bad episode to him. When those occurred, Sean would have Pete run the shop while Sean stayed at home to regroup. This episode seemed mild compared to the last episode he had. About two months before he ran into Emma, Sean had an episode that lasted nearly four days. He stayed in his apartment, in his bed, and under the covers most of the time. He slept a lot of the time but when he wasn't sleeping, he was anxious and pacing.

He hadn't told Emma about this yet. Sean was a little embarrassed by how his experience in Afghanistan still affects him all these years later and he also didn't want to burden her with it. She had enough to worry about with Drew.

* * *

Emma was hanging out with Manny and she kept checking her phone.

"Nothing?"

She shook her head, "Nope."

"Well, why don't you call or text him?"

"It seems like he doesn't want to be bothered. I'll wait for him to get in touch with me."

"Still stubborn as ever, I see."

Emma narrowed her eyes at Manny. "Speaking of stubborn, you and Jay? Why don't you just admit that you love him and that you wish he would go to LA with you?"

"Jay's a Toronto guy."

"Maybe he'd move there for you?"

"I doubt it. He wants his own life and he wants to work. He doesn't want to be married to some actress."

"You two are ridiculous."

"Who are you calling ridiculous? Sean doesn't text you for a few hours and you're losing your shit." Emma didn't say anything. "I'm sorry but he loves you and you have nothing to worry about, okay?"

Emma nodded.

* * *

Later that night, after Manny went down to the basement to go to bed, Emma stared at her phone one last time. Nothing. As much as she wanted to, she didn't text him. She figured he wasn't texting her for a reason. Maybe he had a busy day and fell asleep early but there was a little voice in her head that made her worried that Sean was pulling away.

* * *

The next afternoon, Jay walked into Sean's office, "Yo Cameron, wanna come out for a drink tonight?"

Sean laughed, "It's Tuesday."

"It's just one drink."

Sean shook his head, "I can't."

"Oh come on, it's one drink. Then you can go home."

Sean looked at Jay and said, "Fine. One drink."

"Cool. Meet me at the Stout Irish Pub at 6:15."

"Okay."

Jay walked out of Sean's office and Sean looked at his phone. He hadn't gotten a text from Emma and he hadn't texted Emma. He was still feeling a little out of sorts and glad to be stuck in his office all day. He hoped going out for a drink might help him relax a bit.

* * *

"Man, I still can't believe you forgave her so quickly."

"You've said that a few times already."

"I know, but what she did to you and to Drew was so wrong. It's one thing to want him in your life. I get that but Emma? You should have stayed away from her for a while." Sean took a sip of his beer. "You should have made her earn your love and your trust, you know? Not forgive her so quickly." Sean took another sip of his beer. Jay looked past Sean and smiled, "Hey Dimples!"

Manny walked over to their table. "Hey, Sean, I wasn't expecting to see you out."

"I'm just here for one drink and I'm almost done." He finished his drink and said, "See?" He grabbed his coat, put it on and placed some money on the table, "Have a good night." He walked out before either of them could even say anything to him.

"What the hell was that?"

Jay shrugged, "Maybe he's just tired."

Manny sat in the stool Sean left and looked at Jay. "You're not being a bad influence, are you?"

"Me? How dare you."

"Don't bullshit me. What did you say to him?"

Jay shrugged, "I just don't think he should have forgiven Emma so quickly. She kept him away from his son for nearly 14 years. That is so fucked up."

"Jay, Sean and Emma love each other and they've worked through this. Don't go putting ideas into his head. Jesus."

"Oh, whatever. This isn't high school. Seany's a big boy. I was just expressing my opinion."

"Yeah and trying to make him question all of his decision-making the past few weeks."

"If they love each other, nothing I say will matter, right?"

Manny nodded but she wasn't so sure.

* * *

Emma was in her living room, lounging on the couch when Manny came back.

"Hey, have you heard from Sean?" Emma shook her head. "Oh, because he was out with Jay tonight."

"Out?"

"Yeah, Jay took him out for a drink and I met them out."

"Oh great. I haven't heard from him in nearly two days and he's going out with Jay?"

"He was probably really busy at work. He looked exhausted."

"Yeah but not too exhausted to go out."

"He left as soon as I showed up." Emma crossed her arms and shook her head. Manny continued, "Em, I'm sure everything is fine."

"Or maybe he's changed his mind and he doesn't want to move in or be with me. Maybe he realized he shouldn't forgive me so quickly."

"I doubt it." Manny walked over to the kitchen, "He loves you and he loves Drew. I can see it when he looks at both of you."

Emma nodded, "I don't know. Something feels off and I can't put my finger on it."

Manny wasn't going to tell her that Jay was planting seeds of doubt in Sean's head. She was hoping that Sean would come to his senses on his own. "Maybe you should call him."

Emma shook her head, "No. He can call me."

Manny didn't want to argue so she asked, "Wanna watch some crappy TV with me?"

Emma shook her head, "I'm going upstairs."

"Okay."

Emma climbed the stairs, peeked into Drew's room to see if he was doing his homework—he was—and then walked up to her bedroom. She flopped onto her bed face first and began to cry. She could feel Sean pulling away and didn't know what to do about it.

* * *

Sean was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He kept replaying what Jay said in his head over and over again until he realized that Jay was doing what he did in high school. Trying to influence Sean and trying to talk Sean into making bad choices. Sean sat up and said, "What the fuck am I doing?" He got up off the bed, grabbed his duffel bag, threw some clothes into it, went to the bathroom and grabbed his toiletries and made sure he had everything. He grabbed his keys, including his key to Emma's house and his phone and left his apartment.

* * *

Emma sat up and wiped off her face. She spent nearly half an hour crying and didn't want Drew or Manny to know how upset she was. She went into her bathroom and looked at herself. She was a wreck. She splashed some water on her face and took a deep breath.

* * *

Sean keyed into Emma's house and Manny smiled at him.

"Where is she?"

Manny smiled, "She's upstairs."

Sean climbed the stairs two at a time and when he got up to the third level he tossed his duffel bag onto the floor.

The noise startled Emma who had just finished washing her face in the bathroom. She walked to the bathroom entrance and said, "Sean? What are you—?"

He walked up to her, grabbed her and kissed her before she could finish her question. They kissed for a few moments until Sean pulled away and leaned his forehead on her forehead. They were both out of breath and Sean asked, "Were you crying?" Emma nodded. "Because of me?" She nodded again.

He caressed her face and said, "I'm so sorry. I'm an idiot, Em." He kissed her again and held onto her tight. When he pulled away, he began to kiss her neck.

"Sean, should we be doing this with Drew and Manny right downstairs?"

He stopped kissing her neck, looked at her and said, "I don't care." He rubbed her nose with his and said, "I need to make love to you right now."

She smiled and said, "Okay. We'll just be quiet."

Sean nodded and they kissed their way over to the bed. They undressed each other as quickly as they could and climbed into bed. Sean caressed Emma's face and said, "I love you so much."

"I love you."

* * *

Afterward, Sean was holding Emma.

"That was nice."

He kissed her hair and said, "It was." He rubbed her arm and said, "I'm so sorry about these past few days. I was being an idiot."

She looked up at him and asked, "What happened?"

He shook his head, "I nearly regressed back to high school Sean."

"Uh oh."

"Yeah. Luckily, I came to my senses."

"Was this a Jay thing?"

Sean nodded. "Partly and part of it was me."

"He just can't help himself, can he."

"I think he just says what's on his mind with no thought about how it might affect the other person. I don't think it's malicious."

"And part of it was you?"

Sean nodded, "I sometimes get into these moods when I can't be around people. They come on suddenly and the best thing for me to do is to ride it out and be on my own."

"That happened yesterday?"

"Yep. After I showed Jay around the shop, I stayed in my office for the rest of the day."

Emma looked up at him and said, "Are you feeling better now?"

"Much better, yes. The thought of losing you snapped me right out of it."

"Good."

"Again, I'm so sorry that I made you feel bad. It wasn't about you. It was all me."

"Sean, after everything I did to you? You don't have to apologize."

"Yes, I do. I was being an idiot."

"Fine, I forgive you." She climbed on top of him and smiled, "Ready for a second round?"

Sean grinned and said, "Always."

* * *

Drew walked downstairs and Manny was still watching TV.

"Where's my mom?"

"Upstairs with your dad."

"Oh, he's here?"

Manny nodded, "Yep."

"They're having sex, aren't they."

Manny shrugged.

"I think I'll stay down here for a while."

Manny laughed and handed him the remote. "Watch whatever you want."

Drew raised the volume and Manny giggled.

* * *

Upstairs, Emma and Sean were making love again. This time, Sean was behind Emma driving his hips into hers. Emma couldn't stop herself from making noise. She moaned every time Sean thrust into her. Sean kissed her shoulder as he moved and when he felt like she was close, he moved faster which caused Emma to cry out his name.

When Emma stopped shaking, Sean had her change positions so he was on top again. He smiled at her and asked, "Are you okay?"

She nodded and smiled, "That felt so good."

Sean slipped inside her again and moved slowly.

Emma kissed him then said, "I wish we could do this all night."

"Me too."

She held onto his arms as they continued to make love. "I love you so much."

"I love you."

* * *

Drew stood up and asked, "Do you want some ice cream?"

Manny nodded and smiled, "Yes. I never turn down ice cream."

She got up off the couch and they walked into the kitchen together. Drew opened the freezer and asked, "Cookie dough or chocolate?"

Manny grabbed two bowls and said, "I'll have some chocolate."

Drew handed it to her and grabbed cookie dough for himself.

She asked, "Are you okay?"

Drew said, "Yep."

"Are you sure?"

Drew nodded. "I'm fine. I promise."

"Okay." Manny scooped some ice cream into her bowl and asked, "Is there any whipped cream?"

Drew shook his head and said, "I wish."

Manny smiled.

A few minutes later, Drew and Manny were eating their ice cream in the living room and watching TV.

"Aunt Manny, can I ask you something?"

"Of course. What's up?"

"Were you ever tempted to tell my dad about me?"

"Not really because I knew your mom would never forgive me if I did."

Drew nodded.

"You really like him, huh."

"I love him and he makes mom happy."

Manny smiled, "He does."

"I'm just glad I got the chance to know him finally."

"He feels the same way about you, you know."

Drew smiled and nodded, "I know."

* * *

Sean and Emma showered after their lovemaking session and put on their pajamas. Emma changed the bedding while Sean watched her.

She asked, "Enjoying yourself?"

"I could watch you do anything and enjoy it."

She smiled at him and said, "Come on, let's go downstairs and see our son."

"Okay."

They walked down the stairs and Drew and Manny were watching TV.

"Hey, Dad."

"Hey, buddy."

"You're staying here tonight?"

"Yep. And probably tomorrow too."

"Cool."

Manny said, "We had ice cream."

Sean smiled, "Ooh," He looked at Emma and asked, "You want some?"

Emma shook her head, "Nah, I'm okay."

Sean walked into the kitchen and opened the freezer. Drew got up and walked into the kitchen. Sean asked, "Did you want more?"

Drew shook his head.

"Is everything okay?"

Drew nodded, "Yep. I handed in my paper."

"Are you worried about it?"

Drew nodded again.

Sean scooped some chocolate ice cream into a bowl and smiled at his son, "It's a great paper."

"We'll see if Mr. Del Rossi agrees."

Sean closed the ice cream and put it back into the freezer. "There's nothing you can do now so don't worry about it, okay?"

Drew nodded, "Okay."

Sean and Drew walked back into the living room.

Drew bent down and kissed Emma on the cheek.

"What was that for?"

"I'm going to bed." He leaned down and kissed Manny on the cheek. "Thanks for hanging with me."

"My pleasure, kiddo."

Sean and Drew hugged, "Goodnight, buddy." Sean sat on the couch next to Emma and watched Drew walk up the stairs.

Manny looked at them and said, "Sounds like you two had fun."

Emma grimaced, "You could hear us?"

"Yes. Well, until your son raised the volume on the TV."

"Oh no." Emma shook her head.

Manny giggled, "Oh yes. It's fine. He was fine. He understands."

Sean ate his ice cream while Emma held her head in her hands. She turned to him and asked, "Why aren't you reacting?"

"Because I'm proud." He smiled and said, "I'm so good you couldn't help being loud."

"Sean!"

Manny laughed and stood up, "I'm tired and I'm leaving you two alone." She kissed them both on the cheek. "I love you both."

"Goodnight." Emma watched Manny walk to the basement stairs and turned to Sean, "This is your fault."

Sean laughed and said, "I'm not going to be sorry for making love to you."

"Fine. But we have to be quiet."

"Excuse me? _You_ have to be quiet."

Emma rolled her eyes, "Okay, okay. I have to be quiet."

Sean finished his ice cream and pursed his lips, "Kiss and make up?"

"I'm pretty sure we did that already." She kissed him quickly and stood up, "Give me that." Sean handed over his bowl and spoon and Emma walked to the kitchen.

"Em, you're not mad at me, are you?"

She shook her head, "Nope."

He stood up and walked into the kitchen, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I just can't believe our son heard us." She cleaned the dishes in the sink. "That's so embarrassing."

Sean shrugged, "It was bound to happen eventually."

"I guess."

Sean walked up behind her and put his head on her shoulder. "Babe, I will make this up to you."

"You don't have to make up anything."

"Yes, I do."

When she finished, she dried off her hands, turned around and shook her head, "I'm the one who needs to do that. And maybe Jay was right. You shouldn't have forgiven me so soon."

"Em…"

"Maybe we jumped into this too soon."

He shook his head, "No. We didn't." He hugged her, "We didn't."

Emma cried again and Sean held onto her. After a few moments, Emma pulled away, "Sorry."

"Don't be." He wiped her face with his thumbs and kissed her. When they pulled away, Sean grabbed her hand and led her out of the kitchen. He picked up the remote and shut off the TV.

No words were spoken. They walked up the stairs to the master bedroom and they stopped next to the bed.

Sean caressed her face and she leaned into his hand and kissed it. "Can I just hold you for a while?" Emma nodded and they climbed into bed together.

He held onto her and she leaned her head on his chest.


	20. Chapter 20

The next morning, Emma woke up before Sean. She checked her phone and smiled because it was only 6:30. She caressed his face until he woke up.

"Good morning."

He smiled but didn't open his eyes, "Good morning. What time is it?"

"Just after 6:30."

"Oh?" He opened his eyes and squinted, "Why are you up so early?"

"I guess I couldn't wait to wake up." She reached down and untied his pajama pants.

"Em, what are you doing?"

"Me?" Emma reached into his underwear, "Nothing."

Sean groaned and said, "That's not nothing."

"I just thought we could have some fun before we have to get ready for work." She kissed his neck as she moved her hand, and Sean smiled.

"I have no problem with that."

"Good." She pulled away from his neck and kissed her way down his body.

* * *

After Sean and Emma had their fun in bed, they had more fun in the shower then got ready for work.

"I had a great time last night and this morning."

Emma smiled at Sean and said, "Me too."

Sean buttoned his shirt and walked over to Emma, "And I'm sorry about the past two days. It's why I want to keep my apartment for a while. I don't want Drew to see me like that."

Emma nodded, "I understand. I just wish you could have told me about this beforehand."

"I wanted you to think I had everything under control. It's embarrassing to still be affected by stuff that happened nearly 10 years ago."

"Sean, it's okay that you don't have everything under control. You're human." Sean nodded and Emma tucked his hair behind his ear, "I love you and I want to help you."

"Thank you."

Emma kissed him and smiled. "So how does your day look?"

"I should be in the office most of the day. Lots of paperwork. How about you?"

"There's this one house I'm this close to selling." She continued, "If I do, it will be a great commission."

"Oh yeah?"

"The sale price is $4.8 million."

Sean whistled and said, "Wow. That's expensive."

"It's a gorgeous house."

"What would your commission be on something like that?"

"Around 240."

Sean's eyes widened, "240 thousand dollars?"

Emma nodded, "A few commissions like that helped me get this place."

Sean looked around and smiled, "This is a great house."

Emma smiled, "It will be even better when you're here all the time."

"I know." Sean kissed her, "Soon, I promise."

"I wish you could come with me and see this house."

"Oh?"

Emma nodded, "Yeah, it's incredible."

"When are you showing it?"

"I have an appointment at 11:30. Want to meet me during lunch?"

"Sure." Sean smiled and said, "This must be some house."

"It is." Emma grabbed her work bag and said, "I'll text you when I'm nearly done with the appointment."

"Sounds good." Sean smiled and said, "Let's go downstairs and see our son."

"Okay." She kissed him quickly and walked over to the stairs. Then she stopped, looked at him and said, "I'm not sure I've loved you more than I do right at this moment."

"Really?"

Emma nodded and walked down the stairs.

* * *

Emma texted Sean around 11:20, "The couple coming to see the place had to cancel and reschedule for tomorrow so you can come over whenever you want."

Sean read the message and said, "Okay, give me 20 minutes." Sean put his phone in his pocket, stood up, grabbed his coat and walked into the shop, "Hey Pete, I have to go help Emma with something, I should be back by 1."

"Okay, boss."

Sean walked out to his truck and texted Emma, "Leaving right now."

Emma looked at her phone and smiled.

* * *

When Sean pulled up to the house, the size of the house surprised him. It didn't seem like a house that should be $4.8 million but he figured the neighborhood it was in probably jacked up the price.

He walked up to the front door, knocked and waited for Emma to answer.

"Hi, Mr. Cameron. I'm glad you could make it." She held out her hand.

Sean smiled, shook Emma's hand and said, "Thanks, I'm really excited to see this house."

Emma opened the door to let him in and closed it. "This is a six-bedroom home with five full bathrooms and two half bathrooms. It's 5,548 feet and the asking price is $4.298 million."

Sean looked around and nodded, "Very nice. It didn't look that big from the font."

"They built onto the back of the house and have utilized both the basement and the third floor."

Emma took him on a tour of the whole house as if he were a client and Sean played along.

When they made it up to the master suite, Sean looked out the window and whistled. "You were right. This house is incredible. Can you imagine having enough kids to fill all the bedrooms?"

Emma laughed and said, "Five kids? That's a handful."

He looked at her and smiled, "I know."

"Did you want a big family?"

Sean shrugged, "I don't know. I'd love to have three. That seems like a good number."

Emma smiled, "You're a great father, Sean."

He smiled.

"You really are. Drew loves you."

"Like I keep saying, once I'm disciplining him, he won't like me so much."

Emma shook her head, "Sean, you're his hero. I think he'll actually listen to you more than he listens to me."

"I don't know about that. I guess we'll see."

Emma walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, "I will make us all a nice dinner tonight."

"Are you sure? Don't you have a lot of work after this?"

"Yes, but I want to spoil the two guys I love the most tonight."

Sean smiled and kissed her. When he pulled away, she had a mischievous grin on her face. "What's that look for?"

"Oh, nothing."

She kissed his neck and Sean asked, "Em, what are you doing?" She didn't answer him, she kissed him and Sean laughed into the kiss. "Em." He pulled away, "We can't do anything here, can we? What if someone comes by?"

"The people selling this house are in a rental, the couple who were supposed to come by aren't coming by and we have an hour to be naughty."

"You're really horny lately."

"In a few days, we won't be able to do anything."

"Oh! So you're horny because your period is coming."

"Horny and hungry."

Sean laughed, "Well, okay, right now I can help you with one of those."

"Good."

* * *

Afterward, Sean and Emma were standing near the master bedroom entrance. Sean joked, "Okay, so we've had sex where I work and where you work."

Emma laughed as she straightened herself up.

"It was pretty hot."

"It _was_ pretty hot." She helped him button up his shirt, "I can't wait until later on tonight."

Sean raised an eyebrow, "Oh yeah?"

"After our family dinner and after the child goes to bed, I'm going to take advantage of you again."

He smiled and said, "I have no problem with that."

Emma looked around and made sure everything looked the way it did before they had their fun.

Sean looked around the room and said, "I never realized how expensive Toronto was until I tried getting my first place."

"Yeah, some of the homes here are way overpriced for their size. It's really about the location a lot of times."

Sean nodded and smiled, "Okay, I need to head back to work."

Emma smiled and said, "Sounds good, Mr. Cameron." She grabbed his hand and walked him down the stairs to the entryway, "We'll be in touch."

Sean grabbed her and playfully bit her neck. Emma squealed and he pulled away laughing, "Yes, we'll definitely be in touch." He kissed her softly and said, "See you later."

Emma smiled and said, "Yep."

"Bye."

Emma watched Sean walk to his truck and shut the door. He waved and pulled away from the curb.

* * *

Drew was sitting in Mr. Del Rossi's class waiting for the bell to ring so he could hang out with Oliver during their free period. He was staring at the clock and when the bell rang, he shot up out of his seat.

"Drew, can you stay behind for a moment please?"

Drew rolled his eyes out of Mr. Del Rossi's sight, turned around and walked over to his desk. "Is everything okay Mr. Del Rossi?"

"Yes, everything is fine. I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed reading your paper."

"You did?"

He nodded, "And I'm glad you're getting to know your dad."

"You knew him, right?"

Marco laughed, "I certainly did. Seeing you every day takes me back to my days as a Degrassi student." Drew nodded. "Anyway, I'll be giving everyone their papers back tomorrow. And you have nothing to worry about. It's your best grade of the year."

Drew smiled, "Really?"

Mr. Del Rossi nodded, "Really. It was excellent. And now I'll expect that level of work from you for the rest of the year." He grinned at Drew and Drew nodded. "That's all I wanted to say. Keep up the good work."

"Thank you." Drew turned around and walked out of the classroom.

Oliver was waiting for him, "Is everything okay?"

"Yep." He looked at Oliver, "Would you want to come to my house for dinner?"

"Tonight?" Drew nodded and Oliver said, "Sure. We can study for the math quiz."

"Ugh, that's right. I almost forgot about that."

"I'll text my mom and tell her I'm going over to your house to study and have dinner. She shouldn't have a problem."

Drew looked at Oliver, "I have to go and call my mom. I'll meet you in the library."

"Okay."

Drew walked to Archie's office and the school secretary greeted him.

"Hi, Drew. Is everything okay?"

"Yes, I just need to call my mom."

She turned the phone to him, "Go right ahead, Principal Simpson is in a meeting."

Drew nodded, "Thanks." He dialed Emma's cell and waited for her to pick up.

Emma looked at her phone and said, "Oh no. What did he do now?" She answered, "Dad?"

"No, it's me, mom."

"Oh! I thought you were grandpa. Is everything okay?"

"Yes. Everything is fine. I was wondering if Oliver could come over for dinner tonight. We have a math quiz to study for and I figured he could stay for dinner."

Emma smiled and said, "Of course! He's more than welcome to come over."

"Great!"

"I'll be by to pick you both up at 4:15."

"Okay, thanks, mom."

"You're welcome. See you later."

"Yeah, bye." Drew hung up the phone, "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Did you need to see the principal?"

Drew shook his head, "Nope." He turned around and walked towards the library.

* * *

Emma texted Sean, "Drew is bringing a friend home for dinner."

Sean wrote back, "This is a good thing, right?"

Emma laughed and wrote back, "This is a very good thing. I'm going to pick them up at school, bring them home and start cooking. They have a quiz to study for."

Sean read the text and said, "Do you need me to get anything?"

Emma thought about it and said, "Nope I think we're all set. What time do you think you'll be home?"

Sean wrote back, "6-6:15."

Emma wrote back, "Perfect. See you then."

Sean wrote back, "Okay. I love you."

Emma wrote back, "I love you too."

Sean smiled and turned his phone over. He only had a few more receipts to work on before he could go around the shop and check on everyone's work.

* * *

While Drew and Oliver waited on the front steps of Degrassi, Drew said, "Before we go to my house, I have to tell you something."

"Okay…"

"My dad will be there."

"Your dad?"

Drew nodded, "Remember the guy who saved my mom during the school shooting all those years ago?" Oliver nodded and Drew continued, "It's him."

"The guy who looks like you?"

Drew nodded, "Well, I look like him but yeah."

"Wow, this is major."

"Yeah."

Oliver asked, "Is he cool?"

Drew smiled, "He's very cool. He's a mechanic who owns a shop that mods cars. I went into work with him the other day and one of the guys was working on Randal Grichuk's car."

"No way! That's really cool."

"Yeah. So I didn't want you to be surprised when he walked into the house."

Oliver laughed and said, "Yeah, thanks for the warning. That would have been a big surprise. So he really is a cool guy?"

Drew nodded, "He took me to a Raptors game and got all the players to sign a jersey for me. He modded Kyle Lowry's car."

"That's amazing!"

Emma pulled up and smiled at the boys. They got into the car and she said hi to Oliver, "It's good to see you, Oliver."

"It's good to see you too, Ms. Nelson."

She looked at Drew, "So how was school?"

"Fine."

"Good." She looked at them both and said, "Seatbelts." They complied and she pulled away from the curb. "So what are you in the mood to eat tonight?"

Drew shrugged and said, "How about some pasta?"

"That's fine. I can do that."

"What time will dad be home?"

"He said between 6 and 6:15."

"Okay."

* * *

Emma was busy cooking and looked at the microwave. It was 6:10. She called the boys down from Drew's room and asked Drew to set the table.

"Your dad should be home soon."

"Okay."

Emma looked at Oliver, "What would you like to drink, Oliver?"

"Water's fine. Thanks."

Drew walked into the kitchen, "I'll get it."

Emma continued to cook. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes."

Drew was setting the table when he asked, "Is Aunt Manny joining us?"

"No, has other plans."

"Oh okay."

"Did you tell Oliver your news?" Drew looked puzzled and she said, "The news about the basement!"

"Oh, right!" Drew smiled and said, "I'm getting the room down in the basement for my birthday."

Oliver said, "That's amazing! You're lucky. I'd give anything to be far away from my dumb parents."

Emma giggled in the kitchen. She looked at the microwave again and thought to herself, "Maybe he's just running late."

* * *

Jay pulled up to Cameron's Custom Cars and said, "Oh good, he's still here." He got out of his car and walked up to the front door which was ajar. "Sean?" He stepped inside and walked towards Sean's office. "Cameron?" He looked in and saw Sean's feet sticking out from behind the desk. He jogged over and Sean was lying there unconscious and bleeding from his head, "Sean!" Jay looked around and noticed the safe was open. "Fuck." He dialed 9-1-1 and told them what he walked in on. Jay checked to see if Sean was breathing and he was. He knelt next to him and said his name again, "Cameron, come on man, wake up."

After a few minutes, Sean stirred and groaned.

"Oh my God, thank God." Jay looked down at him, "Sean, can you hear me?"

He groaned and put his hand to his head, "Yeah. What happened?"

"That's what I was going to ask you."

Sean tried to sit up but couldn't.

"Stay there. Don't move too fast." Jay grabbed a shammy and held it against Sean's head.

Sean said, "Call Emma."

"I will, I promise." Jay took Sean's phone from his pocket and dialed Emma.

Emma picked up her phone and said, "Let me guess, you're running late?"

"Em, it's Jay."

"Jay? Why are you calling on Sean's phone?"

"Okay, Emma, I need you to stay calm okay."

"Jay you're scaring me. What happened?"

"The shop was robbed, Em. I found Sean on the floor in the office bleeding from his head."

"What? Oh my God! Did you call 9-1-1?"

"I did," Jay heard the sirens blaring, "They're on the way."

Sean tried to sit up again.

"Cam, man, stay still so EMS can look at you."

Emma yelled into the phone, "Is he conscious?"

"Yes, and he's a little confused."

"Oh my God. Tell me which hospital they're bringing him to."

Jay said, "Okay. Hold on."

Drew looked at his mom, "What happened to dad?"

Emma held up her finger, "Jay?"

"Yeah, Em, they're coming in now."

"Okay." Emma started pacing and Drew watched his mom become unglued.

"Mom?"

Emma looked at Drew and said, "Go up to your room right now. Bring Oliver with you. Please."

Drew nodded. "Come on." Drew reluctantly climbed the stairs with Oliver trailing behind.

"Em, they're bringing him to St. Michael's."

"Okay. Thank you. I'll meet you over there."

Emma ended the call with Jay and immediately called her mom. Christine picked up and said, "Hey there, everything okay?"

Emma cried into the phone, "Sean was robbed at the shop, Jay found him unconscious in his office and bleeding from his head. Can you come here and watch Drew and his friend so I can go to the hospital?" Just then Manny walked in. "Wait, mom, hold on." She looked at Manny and said, "I thought you had plans?"

Manny looked at Emma and could tell something was horribly wrong, "Em, what happened?"

"Sean's shop was robbed, he was unconscious and bleeding and Jay found him. They're taking him to St. Michael's."

"I'm taking you there right now."

Emma asked, "What about Drew?"

"Where is he?"

"Upstairs."

"Tell your mom to come here. I'll tell him to expect her." Manny jogged up the stairs to Drew's room.

Emma asked, "Mom, can you come here?"

"Of course sweetie. I'm already on my way."

"Thank you." Emma ended the call and looked around. She shut off the stove and Manny met her downstairs.

"Drew and his friend are going to stay put."

Emma nodded.

Manny held out her hand, "Give me your keys. I'm driving."

Emma nodded again and grabbed her phone.

* * *

As they were putting Sean on the stretcher, he handed Jay the keys to the shop, "Lock up for me."

"You got it, man."

Sean asked, "Emma?"

"She's on the way to the hospital."

Sean nodded.

They wheeled him out of his office and Jay put Sean's phone in his pocket along with his own phone. He locked Sean's office. Then locked the shop.

Jay got into his car and followed the ambulance to the hospital.


	21. Chapter 21

As Manny drove to the hospital, Emma stared out the window. Everything became a blur as her eyes filled with tears. So many thoughts went through her head. The main one being losing Sean. She couldn't bear it. "I can't believe this happened."

"I know. It's a good thing Jay found him."

Emma nodded, "Who knows how long he would have been there before someone found him." She started crying again.

"Em…"

Emma shook her head and wiped off her face, "I'm sorry."

Manny reached her hand over and placed it on Emma's shoulders, "Don't be sorry. This is scary."

Emma exhaled and said, "I just want him to be okay."

"He will be."

"We just became a family and I cannot lose him, Manny."

"You won't lose him, I promise."

Emma continued to cry and Manny drove as fast and as safe as she could to get the hospital.

* * *

Jay waited by the entrance to the ER for Emma.

"Jay!" Manny called out to him. Emma and Manny jogged over to him.

Emma looked at him, "Where is he?"

"The doctors are with him out right now."

They walked into the hospital and Emma asked, "What the hell happened?"

"I went back to the shop because I forgot something in my locker and I noticed that the front door was slightly open which I thought was weird so I walked over to his office and that's when I found him. The safe was open and empty and he was on the ground, bleeding from his head, bruised and unconscious." Emma covered her mouth. "He woke up while I was calling you."

Manny said, "But that's good, right?"

Jay nodded, "Yeah, I think so."

Emma hugged Jay, "Thank God you found him."

Jay nodded and pulled away. "I've never been so scared in my life."

Manny looked at him, "You have blood on you."

Jay nodded, "There was a lot of blood." Emma nearly wretched. Jay looked at her and said, "I'm sorry."

Emma shook her head, "It's fine."

"Here's his phone." He handed Emma Sean's phone which also had blood on it.

Emma looked at it and said, "I have to clean it." She looked around for a restroom and found one, "Be right back."

Manny looked at Jay, "How are you?"

Jay's voice broke, "I was fucking terrified. I thought he was dead. He wouldn't wake up at first." Manny caressed his face and Jay closed his eyes. She hugged him and he held onto her tight. "I was so relieved when he came to."

"I can imagine."

Emma walked back over and asked, "Jay, are you okay?"

They pulled away from their hug and Jay nodded and said, "Just shaken up."

Emma nodded.

He said, "Okay, let's find out what's happening."

* * *

Christine keyed into Emma's house and called out to Drew. "Drew?"

He jogged down the stairs, "Hey grandma. Have you heard anything yet?"

"Not yet, sweetie." She walked into the kitchen, "Come on, have something to eat."

Drew shook his head, "I'm too nervous to eat."

Oliver was standing behind him and placed his hand on Drew's shoulder, "It'll be okay."

Drew turned around and barked at his friend, "Oh yeah, How do you know?"

Oliver shrugged.

Christine said, "Your father is a tough guy, Drew."

Drew nodded.

"Please try to eat something."

Drew nodded again and sat down.

"You too, Oliver."

Oliver joined Drew at the table and Christine served them the pasta Emma made.

* * *

Emma, Manny, and Jay were told to go to the third-floor waiting room while the doctors took care of Sean. Emma was too nervous to sit so she paced in the waiting room. She looked at Jay and asked, "What is taking so long?"

Jay said, "Em, he had a head injury. They're probably making sure he didn't fracture his skull."

After more than an hour of pacing and waiting, a doctor finally came out and asked, "Who's here for Sean Cameron?"

Emma walked over to him, "We are." She motioned toward Manny and Jay then said, "I'm his partner. How is he?"

"He had a pretty big gash on the back of his head, we closed it up with some stitches. He also has some bruising on his face and his left eye is almost swollen shut. We think he hit his face as he was falling to the ground." Emma covered her mouth in shock, "The good news is that he doesn't have any broken bones. We were a little worried that maybe he had fractured his orbital bone." The doctor pointed to his own face to show them where that is. "He also doesn't have any skull fractures." Emma sighed in relief, "He's a very lucky man. This could have been a lot worse." Emma nodded, "We will keep him overnight for observation because it's possible he could have a concussion, but that he's not showing the signs yet. Sometimes they can develop later on. And you can't be too careful with head injuries."

Emma nodded, "I understand. Thank you." She asked, "When can we see him?"

"You can see him right now. But if you can, go in one at a time."

Manny looked at her and said, "We'll wait out here."

Emma nodded and followed the doctor to Sean's room.

"He's right in there."

"Thank you, doctor."

Emma walked in, and Sean had his eyes closed. She started crying again when she saw the extent of the damage. They wrapped his head in a bandage and the whole left side of his face was bruised and swollen. She wiped her face off and he opened his eyes.

"Hey, gorgeous."

"Hi." She walked around to the right side of his bed and grabbed his right hand, "How are you feeling?"

"My head hurts a lot."

She held his right hand, "Do you know what happened?"

Sean nodded, "Guy had a gun, forced me back into the shop, made me open the safe and then everything went black." Emma gasped. "He must have pistol-whipped me."

"Oh my God. He could have killed you. I was so scared when Jay called me."

He smiled and said, "Good thing he found me, huh? Who knows what would have happened."

"How can you joke about this?"

"Sorry, I guess it's my way of coping because I don't want to think about what could have happened if he hadn't."

Emma nodded, "I understand." She sat on the bed and he lifted her hand and kissed it. She said, "I love you."

"I love you too." Sean looked toward the door, "Where's Drew?"

"Home with my mom. Manny drove me here."

Sean asked, "Does he know what happened?"

"Manny explained it to him." Sean grimaced, and she asked, "Am I hurting you?"

Sean smiled, "No, you're not. I'm just sore. I think I hit my face against the file cabinet after he knocked me out."

"You did. Your left eye is nearly shut swollen and the left side of your face is all bruised." She reached out and caressed the right side of his face.

"So I look like shit, huh?"

Emma laughed, "Stop."

He smiled at her and there was a knock at the door. It was two police officers and Jay. One officer was a tall older man, with salt and pepper hair probably around 50, while the other was a woman with dark hair who didn't look much older than Sean and Emma.

The man said, "Hi, Mr. Cameron. I'm Detective Arbour."

The woman said, "And I'm Detective Smyth. We have some questions for you if you're up to it."

Sean nodded and said, "Sure."

Emma looked at them, "Please don't overwhelm him."

"Em, I'll be okay. I promise."

Emma nodded her head, "Fine." She stood up, leaned over and gently kissed his cheek, "I'll be right outside, okay?"

Sean smiled, "Okay."

Emma walked out of the room and over to Manny.

Manny asked, "How is he?"

"He's cracking jokes." She shook her head, "He looks beat up, but he seems okay. Thank God." Manny hugged her. "Thank you for being here."

"Of course, cuckoo bananas. I love you both and want everything to be okay."

Back in Sean's room, Detective Arbour asked, "Did you get a look at him?"

Sean shook his head, "I mean, he wasn't very tall. He was my height and I'm about 5'8" on a good day. And he had most of his face covered." Sean tried to think of something else that could help the detectives then he remembered something else about the suspect. "Oh! His eyes. I got a good look at them. They were the only part of his face that wasn't covered."

Detective Arbour said, "That could be helpful. We'll take anything at this point."

"Well, other than being the one part of his face I could see, they were kind of unusual."

Detective Smyth asked, "How so?"

"His right eye was green and his left eye was half green and the other half looked more brown. It split across the middle of his eye. Nearly half and half. I'd never seen anything like it."

Detective Arbour wrote that down, "That could be helpful." He looked at his partner and said, "That has a name, doesn't it?"

Detective Smyth nodded, "Heterochromia. My 8-year-old daughter has complete heterochromia. That means each eye is a different color. She has a brown eye and a blue eye."

Sean said, "Oh, like Max Scherzer."

Detective Arbour nodded, "Right! What a pitcher he is, huh?"

Sean smiled and nodded.

Detective Smyth said, "So it sounds like this guy has partial heterochromia." She looked at Sean and asked, "Did you recognize the voice at all?"

Sean shook his head, "Not really, but I was too busy thinking about the gun he was threatening me with. But I don't notice he was sniffing a lot and seemed to be high on something. He was pretty erratic."

Detective Smyth said, "Could be a junkie who figured your place would be a good one to rob."

Detective Arbour asked, "Do you have anyone angry at you? A disgruntled former employee, maybe?"

Sean shook his head, "No. I haven't had to fire anyone since I opened. All my guys are good guys."

Detective Arbour said, "We ask because it seems like someone who knew the ins and outs of your office."

Sean asked, "Could it have been someone I had in to fix something?" He closed his eyes and concentrated, "I'm trying to think of the people who have had to come into the shop to work on the computer in my office." He opened his eyes and shook his head, "I cannot recall anyone else with eyes like that. I'm sorry."

Detective Smyth said, "You gave us some good things to work with, Mr. Cameron. Next, we will need to go to the shop and gather fingerprints. Do you have a security system?"

"Yep. But the alarm wouldn't have gone off because he didn't break-in, I unlocked the door for him. I also couldn't get to either trigger. We have one behind the counter where we greet our customers and one under my desk."

Detective Arbour looked at Sean and asked, "Can he open the shop for us so we can look around?"

Sean nodded, "Yep." He looked at Jay and said, "I'll call Pete and have him meet you at the shop. He knows all about the security system. Where's my phone?"

Jay said, "Em has it. I'll go get it."

Emma turned around when Jay walked out, "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, we need Sean's phone. We have to call Pete and have him meet us at the shop. The detectives want to scour the place for clues."

Emma nodded and handed Sean's phone to Jay.

"Thanks." He walked back into Sean's hospital room and said, "My fingerprints might be there though. I'm the one who found him."

Detective Arbour said, "That's fine."

Jay looked at Sean and said, "You know I didn't even check to see if all the cars were there. I was so focused on you, I completely forgot."

"It's fine, Jay."

Detective Arbour asked, "One more question for you, Mr. Cameron. How much money was in the safe?"

"Only about $1500. It's usually higher than that later in the week."

He wrote it down, "Thanks."

Detective Smyth said, "Let's head over and you'll call," She paused and looked at her pad, "Pete?"

Sean nodded, "I'll do it right now." He pressed Pete's name on his phone.

"Okay." Jay looked at Sean, "I'll see you later."

"Thanks again, man."

The detectives and Jay walked out of the room and Jay said to Emma, "We're going back to the shop."

Emma nodded, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He walked over to Manny and kissed her goodbye then headed out with the officers.

Emma walked into Sean's room while he was talking to Pete, "Yeah, I just have a gash on the back of my head, a few bruises on my face." He smiled at Emma, "So you can meet them, right? Great, thanks, man. Okay, bye."

Emma was standing next to him when he ended his call with Pete. He moved over and pat the space he made on the bed, "Come and lie with me."

Emma climbed into the bed, snuggled against him and started crying again.

"Em."

"Sorry."

"I'm okay, I promise." He kissed her hair, and they laid there in silence for a few minutes, "How about we call Drew so he knows that I'm okay?"

Emma nodded, sat up and grabbed her phone. "That's a good idea. He's probably very worried about you." She dialed Christine's number and pressed speaker.

Christine picked up right away, "Em? How's Sean?"

"He's banged up, but he's okay. He wanted to talk to Drew."

"Okay, hold on." Christine handed the phone to Drew. "It's your mom and dad."

Drew grabbed the phone out of Christine's hand, "Dad! How are you? Are you okay?"

Sean smiled at Emma, "I'm okay, I promise. Just some bumps and bruises."

"I was really worried about you."

"I know you were, buddy."

"I'm just glad you're okay." He asked, "When are you coming home?"

"Well, they want to keep me overnight just to make sure everything is okay. So I'll hopefully be home tomorrow at some point."

"Oh good."

Emma smiled at Sean. Sean grimaced again and Emma said, "Sweetie, your dad needs to rest, okay?"

"Okay. Thank you for calling me."

Sean said, "I wanted you to know I was okay."

Drew said, "So I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yep."

"Okay, bye." Drew handed the phone to Christine.

"Em?"

"Yeah, mom."

Sean said, "Hi Christine."

"Oh Sean, I'm so happy to hear your voice."

Sean smiled, "I'm happy to hear yours as well."

Christine asked, "Em, do you want me to stay over tonight?"

"Could you?"

"Of course, I can. I'll let your dad know."

"Great, thanks, mom. We really appreciate your help."

"Anything for you and Sean." Christine continued, "I'll let you two go but please call me if you need anything, okay?"

"We will. Thanks again."

"Bye."

Emma ended the call and looked at Sean.

"Yes?"

"I just love you so much."

"I love you too."

She cried again and shook her head, "I'm sorry I keep crying."

"Don't be." He caressed her face, "I know you're scared."

She turned her face, kissed his hand then said, "I don't care what you say, you are moving in with us as soon as possible."

Sean smiled, "I don't have a problem with that."

"Good."

* * *

Emma stayed with Sean in his hospital room that night. She sat next to him, holding his hand, and kept her eyes on him all night.

Sean woke up in the middle of the night and forgot where he was and forgot about what happened. He was about to get out of the bed when Emma stopped him.

"Sean, no, stay in bed."

He looked confused and asked, "Em? Where am I? What happened?"

"Babe, you're in the hospital, remember?"

"Hospital?" He closed his eyes then said, "Oh, right. The shop."

"Did you need to go to the bathroom?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, I'll get the nurse. She was in here earlier."

"Thanks."

Emma hit the nurse call button.

"I can't believe I have to have a nurse help me pee."

Emma scoffed and said, "I don't think she's going to do that. You just have a lot of stuff hooked up to you and you have a head injury. They don't want you to fall."

The nurse walked in and said, "Hello there, Mr. Cameron. Let me help you."

"Thanks." He slowly got up off the bed and the nurse helped him walk to the bathroom while wheeling his IV with him. He felt a breeze up his back and said to Emma. "My ass is hanging out isn't it…"

Emma giggled, "Yes."

"Great." He reached around and held the back of his gown together.

Emma sat back down in her chair and waited. When Sean walked out a few minutes later, the nurse joked, "He had a bit of performance anxiety." Emma covered her mouth to stop from laughing. "But then he was okay." Sean looked embarrassed and the nurse said, "It's nothing to be embarrassed about. I wouldn't be able to pee in front of a total stranger either." She helped Sean back to his bed and made sure he was comfortable. "Since you're awake, I'll change the bandage on your wound, okay?"

"Sure, thanks."

"Be right back."

Sean looked at Emma, "Well, that was humiliating."

"I'd rather have that happen than what happened when I had Drew."

Sean asked, "What happened?"

"I had a catheter put in after I gave birth to Drew. They didn't want me to get up and sit down with my fresh c-section scar. It hurt a lot when they pulled it out."

Sean made a face then shivered, "I can't imagine what that feels like." Then he said, "I hope the next time we're in a hospital is because you're giving birth to our second child but I also hope that you won't need another catheter."

Emma smiled and said, "Me too. On both counts."

The nurse came back with her supplies and changed Sean's bandage. "That's quite a gash you have there, Mr. Cameron."

"Yeah, great."

"You're lucky. You have a nice, thick head of hair so you'll never see it."

Emma smiled at him.

When the nurse finished, she said, "There you go. All set."

"Thank you."

She looked at Emma, then at Sean and said, "I'm on duty until 8 a.m. so let me know if you need anything else, okay?"

Emma smiled and said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

The nurse walked out and Sean looked at Emma, "Come here and lie with me again. I don't like when you're not next to me."

"Are you sure? I don't want to take up too much space."

"Yes, I'm sure."

Emma smiled and climbed into the bed with him.

"I still can't believe this happened to me."

"Me neither."

He looked at his phone and said, "I didn't hear from Jay or Pete. I hope that means all the cars are still there."

"They probably wanted you to rest."

He nodded, "I'm glad you're here with me."

"There's no place on earth I'd rather be."


	22. Chapter 22

The next morning at around 7:30, Emma was sleeping next to Sean when the nurse walked in to check on him one last time before her shift ended. He was wide awake.

She whispered, "Good morning."

He smiled and whispered back, "I hope it's okay that she's with me. I sleep better with her next to me."

The nurse smiled, "How long have you been together?"

Emma woke up but pretended she was still asleep.

"We were together on and off in junior high and high school. We just got together after a long time apart. We have a son together."

"Married?"

"Not yet, but it's heading that way." Sean stroked Emma's hair and said, "I've never loved anyone as much as I love this woman."

The nurse smiled, "That's sweet."

"I feel bad about all this. It terrified her."

"Why do you feel bad? You couldn't help what happened to you." Sean shrugged, and the nurse continued, "You shouldn't feel bad. You're a lucky guy. This could have been a lot worse." Sean nodded, and the nurse asked, "Are you up to eating something?"

"Yes, I'm starving."

"Good. It's not much, just some oatmeal and fruit, but at least it's something. I'll be right back with it."

"Thanks."

Emma stirred and opened her eyes.

"Good morning, gorgeous."

"Hi." She caressed his face, "How are you feeling?"

"Still sore, but I'm okay."

The nurse came back with Sean's food and said, "Good morning," to Emma, who smiled. She asked, "Would you like something to eat? I can probably bring you something."

Emma shook her head, "No, that's okay. I will probably get up and find some coffee." She got off the bed, and the nurse pushed the over-bed table in front of Sean so he could eat.

The nurse looked at Sean and said, "The doctor will be in a little while to look at you and to decide whether or not you can get out of here."

He asked, "Is there a chance I'll be here for another day?"

"You seem okay to me, but he'll be in to do some tests to double-check."

Sean nodded, "Okay."

"Enjoy your breakfast," She looked at Emma, "There's a coffee bar down on the second floor."

"Great, thanks."

The nurse walked out, and Sean said, "She's nice."

Emma smiled.

"You heard us, didn't you?"

"Maybe?"

Sean smiled at her, "Well, I didn't say anything you didn't already know."

"True, but it was nice hearing you say it to someone else." Her phone buzzed. She looked at it and said, "Oh shit. I completely forgot about the appointment I rescheduled for today." She put her hand to her head, "Let me think, maybe there's a way I can get someone else to do it?"

"Em, if you need to go, it's fine."

"But I don't want to leave you."

He smiled at her and said, "Nothing will happen to me while I'm here. What time is the appointment?"

"8:30. The couple wanted an appointment before work."

"So you have time to go home, shower, change, and go."

"But—"

Sean stopped her, "Em, it's fine."

"Okay, I will be back as soon as I can." She handed him his phone, "In case you need to call the guys."

"I do, thanks."

She kissed him and smiled, "I love you so much."

"I love you too."

Emma walked out of Sean's hospital room and called her mom.

"Em? Is everything okay?"

"Ugh, I forgot an appointment I had this morning, and I can't reschedule because we already rescheduled." She bashed the button for the elevator. "I'm on my way home to take a quick shower, change, and head out. How's Drew?"

"He didn't want to go to school today, so I'm letting him stay home. Archie was fine with it."

Emma stepped into the elevator, "That's understandable. I should be there in about 15 minutes."

"Okay, see you then."

* * *

Sean was finishing his breakfast when Jay and Manny knocked on his door, "Hey, come in. Emma had to leave. She had an appointment she nearly forgot about and couldn't reschedule a second time. She'll be back later."

Jay asked, "And how are you?"

"Sore, and my head still hurts. So what happened with the police?"

"Well, the good news is that the dude only took what was in the safe. He didn't steal any cars. And they got him on video, so at least they know his build and stuff."

"Yeah, I wish I could be more help with that."

Jay exhaled and said, "Dude, I'm just glad you're okay."

"I'm sorry I scared you."

"Stop saying you're sorry. What happened to you wasn't your fault." Jay asked, "So when are you blowing this pop stand?"

"The doctor has to come and do some tests, and then they'll decide if I can go home or if I need to stay here."

Manny said, "I hope you get to go home."

Jay looked at him, "Back to Emma's, right?"

Sean nodded.

"Good. So Pete is running the show today."

Sean nodded again, "Good. I should probably call him."

"Don't worry. Everything is under control. I'm heading over in a bit, and this one," Jay pointed at Manny, "Will hang with you until Emma gets back."

"Wait, did Emma tell you to come here?"

Manny smiled and said, "Maybe."

Sean smiled, "Thank you."

Jay said, "Alright, I'm heading to the shop. We'll let you know if we need anything, okay?"

Sean nodded, "Thanks, man."

"No problem." He kissed Manny and walked out.

Sean raised his right eyebrow, and Manny said, "Don't give me that look."

"Okay fine, I won't."

* * *

Emma walked into her house, and both Christine and Drew were in the living room. Drew jumped up and asked, "How's dad? When's he coming home?"

Emma smiled, "He's okay. The doctor will see him in a bit and let him know if he can go home." She took off her coat, "I'm sorry I can't stay and talk. I have an appointment I must get to soon. Manny is with Sean at the hospital, and then I will head over there afterward."

Drew asked, "Can I go see him?"

"If the doctors think he needs to stay another day, yes. If not, I'll just be bringing him here."

"Oh, so he'll stay with us while he recovers?"

Emma nodded, "I am going to take care of him." Drew nodded. "And you can help me if you want."

"I do."

"Great." Emma smiled at her son and caressed his face.

Christine asked, "Were you able to eat anything?"

"No, I'll be fine. Okay, I really need to get ready." Emma jogged up the stairs to her bedroom, stripped down, and took one of the fastest showers of her life. As she dried off, she sprayed her hair with some dry shampoo, worked it in, brushed her teeth, then looked for something to wear.

Ten minutes later, she was walking down the stairs, "Okay, I am heading out to this appointment then going over to the hospital to see your dad."

Drew nodded, "Tell him I love him, okay?"

Emma smiled and said, "I will, sweetie." She looked at her mom and said, "Thank you for this. I owe you big time."

Christine shook her head, "Em, don't be silly."

"Okay, I'll see you later."

* * *

Archie was talking with Marco Del Rossi in his office.

Marco asked, "My God, is Sean okay?"

"He's still in the hospital. My wife said Drew is too upset to make it in today."

"Poor kid. Well, I wanted to let you know that I gave him an A on his paper about his father."

Archie smiled, "It was that good?"

Marco nodded, "It was. Drew's a good writer when he applies himself. And I let him know yesterday that I expect that level of work for the rest of the term. He didn't look too happy." Archie laughed, and Marco continued, "I think Sean coming into his life is helping him."

Archie nodded and smiled, "I agree."

"Okay," Marco stood up, "I'd better get to my classroom before I walk in to utter chaos."

Archie laughed then said, "Thanks for letting me know about Drew's paper."

"You're welcome. See you later."

Archie's phone rang, and he saw on the caller ID screen that it was Emma. "Em?"

"Hey dad, I just wanted to thank you for letting Drew stay home today."

"I knew he wouldn't be into being here at all while he worried about his dad. How is Sean?"

"He's banged up, dad. He's lucky because it could have been a lot worse."

"How long are they keeping him there?"

"The doctor will administer some tests later this morning, and if all goes well, he'll be able to come home today."

"That's great news!"

"Yep," Emma pulled into a parking spot and said, "Okay, I've made it to my appointment. Thanks again for your help with Drew."

"My pleasure, kiddo."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Emma ended gathered all her paperwork, got out of her car, and walked up to the house. She made it with 10 minutes to spare, which meant she could make sure everything looked suitable for the clients.

* * *

The doctor knocked on Sean's door, then walked in, "Hi Sean."

"Hey, doc."

"I'm just going to look at you."

Manny stood up, "I'll be right outside."

Sean nodded.

The doctor looked at his eyes and flashed a light in them, "Good, your eyes are responding well to light."

Sean squinted and laughed, "Yeah."

The doctor also laughed then said, "Follow my finger."

Sean followed the doctor's fingers with his eyes.

"Good. Are you experiencing any dizziness?"

"Nope."

"Nausea?"

"Nope."

"And how's the pain on a scale from 1-10?"

"Right now, about an 8."

The doctor nodded, "Okay, I'll send you home with some stuff that will dull the pain."

"You mean I can go home?"

"Yep, but you need to rest for at least five days. I don't want you back to work until the middle of next week at the earliest." He said, "Lean forward."

Sean leaned forward and said, "I'll do whatever you want me to do, doc."

"Oh, and no washing your hair. You can use regular soap and water to clean the wound, but no shampoos for probably the first three or four days. Doing that would irritate the stitches and I just want to make sure everything heals correctly."

"Okay. That's no problem."

"I'll send you home with bandages and dressings that you can wrap around your head. Do you have someone to help you?"

"Yes."

"Is it the woman who was in here with you just now? Because I can show her what to do."

"Oh, no, that's my partner's best friend. She's just keeping me company until Emma comes back."

"Okay, when I come back with the paperwork, I'll show Emma what to do." The doctor examined his wound and said, "I'll get your discharge papers ready, and you can go home within an hour, an hour and a half."

"That's great, thanks."

"You're welcome. But if the pain doesn't get better after those five days, you must come and see me, okay?"

Sean nodded, "Okay."

"Also, if you suddenly feel dizzy, nauseated, get blurred vision, you must come here because that's a sign that the wound is worse than we thought."

"I got it."

"So let me take care of the administrative stuff so you can get home."

"Thank you."

The doctor shook Sean's hand, then walked out of Sean's room. Manny walked back in, "So what's the verdict?"

"I get to go home."

"That's great!"

Sean nodded, "I can't work or do anything for at least five days. That will suck."

"Oh please, you'll have Emma waiting hand and foot on you, you'll be fine."

"She has to work."

"I'm sure she can fix her schedule and make sure she's home taking care of you."

Sean smiled at her and said, "So."

Manny cocked her head to the side and said, "Yes?"

He asked, "What's going on with you and Hogart?"

"Nothing."

Sean rolled his eyes, "Don't bullshit me."

Manny shrugged, "We're having fun while I'm here."

"You know it's ridiculous that you're not together."

"Sean, I'm in LA, and he's here. How could that possibly work?"

"I don't know, but what I do know is that you two seem happier when you're around each other. Don't you think you've wasted enough time?"

"Again, he's here, and I'm in LA. It's not that simple."

He held up his hands, "Okay, I'll stop butting in."

Manny smiled, "I appreciate it. It's nice to know that you care."

"I just want my friends to be happy."

* * *

After she finished her appointment, Emma called Manny's phone.

Manny looked at Sean, "It's Em." She answered, "Hey there."

"Hey, I'm on my way back."

"Good, because they're discharging Sean in a little while."

Emma breathed a sigh of relief, "Oh, thank goodness."

"Yeah, so get over here."

"I'll be there in 15 minutes."

"Okay."

Manny ended the call, "She'll be here in 15 minutes."

Sean smiled "Good. Not that you weren't good company."

Manny smiled, "I get it." She sat down next to him and asked, "So, when are you asking her to marry you?"

Sean laughed, "When I can get her a ring. She deserves a beautiful ring."

Manny smiled and said, "Okay, well, I can help you with that from LA. You can text me pictures."

"I can also look at her jewelry and see what she likes."

"True. But I think I already have an idea for a ring that would look great on her finger."

Sean raised his right eyebrow, "Oh?"

Manny nodded and started typing on her phone. She swiped a few times and said, "There it is." She held her phone up and showed the picture to Sean. "Something like this."

He smiled and took her phone. He looked at the picture and nodded, "That's perfect." He looked at her and said, "I hope it's not a million dollars."

"Of course not, silly."

Sean said, "I can picture that on her finger. It's gorgeous. You think she'd like it?"

Manny nodded, "Definitely."

"Well, now I'm annoyed that you're leaving before I can go to a jewelry store with you."

Manny smiled and said, "You'll be fine."

Manny and Sean chatted until Emma showed up.

She asked, "Hi! So you get to go home?"

"Yep, but I can't go to work or do much of anything for at least five days."

"So you'll come back to the house, and I will take care of you."

"I feel bad, Em."

"Don't feel bad. I want to help you get better."

"I know but—"

"But nothing. I love you and want to take care of you, okay?"

Sean nodded and smiled, "Okay."

"Where do you think you want to stay? Up in my room or the guest room on the second floor?"

Sean shrugged then said, "I figured I'd just lounge around on the couch in the living room and watch TV all day."

"You can do that in my bed."

"Yeah, but I'd rather be downstairs so we can eat dinner together as a family, and I can hang out with Drew."

Emma nodded, "Okay. Should we stop off at your place and pick things up?"

"Oh yeah, I should grab some clothes I can lie around in all day."

"Okay, we'll do that." She kissed him and said, "I will take such good care of you."

Sean smiled and said, "I know you will."

Manny chimed in and said, "I can help. We can go up to Sean's place and grab his stuff while he stays in the car. Remember, the doctor wants you to take it easy."

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

Emma opened the front door and let Sean step inside. Drew came barreling down the stairs to greet them.

"Hey, buddy."

The sight of Sean's injuries shocked Drew. "Dad, wow."

"I know I looked a lot better the last time you saw me."

Christine walked over and gasped, "Sean, do you need some ice for your face?"

"I'm okay."

Emma closed the door and said, "Do you want to go upstairs, clean up and change into clean clothes?" Sean nodded. "Okay," She looked at Christine and Drew and said, "We'll be right back."

Sean and Emma made it up to her room, and Sean sat down on the bed. "I'm exhausted."

Emma put the bag with his clothes on the floor and said, "Babe, get undressed and take a nap. You'll sleep a lot better here than you could in the hospital."

Sean nodded and took his shirt off. Then he stood up and took off his jeans. He was in his underwear and said, "I'm sleeping like this."

Emma smiled, "That's fine."

He climbed into the bed and lay on his right side. "I apologize in advance if I get any blood on the bedding."

"Don't worry about that, okay?"

"Okay."

She walked around to the other side of the bed and asked, "Do you need anything?"

"No," He yawned, "I'm good."

Emma smiled, "I'll be back to check on you later."

"Thank you."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

When Emma walked downstairs, Drew asked, "Where's dad?"

"He's napping. He didn't get a lot of sleep in the hospital."

"Oh. Okay."

Emma asked, "How are you? I know you worried about him."

"I'm glad he's here, and he's safe."

Emma smiled, "Me too."

Christine walked over, "I have to head to work."

Emma hugged her mom tight and said, "Thank you for everything."

"You're welcome. Let me know if you need me again."

"I will."

Christine looked at Drew and said, "Goodbye, kiddo."

"Bye, grandma."

When Christine left, Emma looked at Drew and smiled.

"Why are you smiling at me?"

"I can't smile at my son?"

"I guess."

Emma yawned and said, "I didn't sleep last night, either."

"Maybe you should take a nap too?"

Emma shook her head, "Can't. I have work to do. In fact," She walked over to the computer, "I should check my emails."

Drew asked, "Can I still watch TV?"

"Sure."

Drew sat on the couch, and Emma started looking at some emails on her computer.


	23. Chapter 23

About an hour later, Emma heard Sean screaming upstairs. She jumped up out of her chair and ran up the stairs. By the time she got to the third floor, Sean was sitting up with his head in his hands.

"What happened?" She sat next to him.

"I guess I was having a nightmare."

She rubbed his back and said, "Oh, babe, you're drenched." Sean nodded. "Maybe you should take a bath? A shower might bother your stitches."

He nodded again and looked up at Drew, who was staring at him. "Hey, buddy."

Emma got up and walked over to Drew, "Your dad just had a bad dream."

Drew nodded and asked, "Are you okay now?"

Sean nodded, "Yep." Sean swung his legs over the edge of the bed. "I'll be fine."

Emma said, "I'll get the bath ready for you."

"Thank you."

Sean removed the dressing from his head then stood up, and when he turned around, Drew got a good look at the gash on the back of his head. "Dad, your head."

Sean turned to him and said, "I'm a mess, I know, but I'm okay, I promise."

Drew nodded. "Okay. I'm going back downstairs."

Sean smiled at him and watched as Drew made his way down the stairs.

Emma walked out of the bathroom and said, "I know it's kind of girly, but I put some bubble bath in there."

Sean smiled and said, "That's fine." He walked into the bathroom and got a good look at himself in the mirror. "Jesus, I'm a mess."

"I'm just glad you're here and not still in the hospital."

He turned to her and asked, "Are you going to join me in the bath?"

"Not with our son right downstairs, but I will help you wash your wound and your back."

"Thank you." He stripped down and got into the bathtub. "Yeah, this feels good."

Emma smiled, "Good."

"Was I loud?"

"Yes, you scared us both."

"I'm sorry. I don't even know what I was dreaming about."

"Babe, it's okay."

Sean shook his head and said, "I should have gone back to my place. I don't want to disturb Drew."

"Sean, there was no way I was letting you go back to your place alone with a head injury."

"I guess it's a good thing this happened now and not two months ago."

"Let's not even think about that, okay?"

Sean nodded. She cleaned his back and shoulders, and Sean sighed, "That feels great, Em. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Emma carefully cleaned Sean's wound, then bandaged it and wrapped the dressing around his head. She kissed him on the nose when she was done.

"Sit in here for a little while."

"How long?"

"Until you start pruning," She smiled, and he laughed. "Like five or 10 minutes." She placed a towel next to the tub and left a robe hanging on the shower door. "Then come downstairs and hang out with your son and me."

"Will do. Thanks again."

"My pleasure."

When Emma left, Sean sighed. He did remember the nightmare, he just didn't want to tell her about it. In his dream, the guy came back to the shop and finished him off. He woke up and screamed right as the gun went off.

Sean already battled PTSD and had nightmares about his experience in Afghanistan. Now he had to deal with this on top of it. When he was done with his bath, Sean called his therapist's office and asked if he could see her next week. Luckily, they were able to squeeze him in.

After Sean got dressed, Sean walked down the stairs into the living room.

Emma asked, "Feeling better?"

Sean nodded, "Yes, much better. Thank you."

"Would you like something to eat? I can make you something."

"Don't go too crazy."

"Sean, I want to take care of you, and I'm going to so just tell me what you want."

"Okay, this may seem silly, but I am craving a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for some reason."

Emma smiled, "I can definitely do that for you." She got up and walked into the kitchen. Sean followed her and sat at the island.

He asked, "Where's Drew?"

"He's downstairs figuring out how he wants his new room to look."

"Oh, God, that's right. His birthday."

"Don't worry, I'll get him a cake, and we can invite some people over this weekend if you're up to it."

Sean shook his head, "Don't worry about me. I don't want to ruin the first birthday he gets to spend with me. If I don't feel up to it or start to feel tired, I'll go upstairs."

Emma smiled, "Okay. So we'll do something on Friday."

"I still have to get him the frame for the jersey."

"Sean, that whole night can be your present for him. It was one of the best nights of his life."

"I still feel like I need to give him something on his actual birthday."

"We'll come up with something."

Sean stood up, "I'll be right back."

"Okay."

Sean walked down to the basement and walked into the bedroom, "Hey, kiddo."

Drew turned around and smiled at his dad, "Hey. Are you feeling better?"

"Much better, thanks." Sean looked around and asked, "Are you trying to figure out how you want the room to look?"

Drew nodded, "I want my room to look more adult because I'm almost 14, and my room upstairs looks like it belongs to an 8-year-old."

Sean laughed, "Come on, it's not that bad."

Drew shrugged his shoulders and asked, "What did your room look like when you were my age?"

"Well, I was living with my brother at the time, and I didn't have much because we didn't have a lot of money. Then he left when I was 15, and I lived on my own for a little while."

"You were on your own at 15?"

Sean nodded, "I was on student welfare and had to keep my grades up; otherwise, I would have been kicked off student welfare and possibly placed into a group home."

Drew said, "Wow."

"Then, my girlfriend at the time moved in."

"Not mom?"

Sean shook his head, "Nope. Her name was Ellie."

"Oh, right. You mentioned Ellie and another girl."

Sean nodded, "Amy."

"Yeah, did you love her?"

"Amy? God no. I was angry with your mom, and Amy was just there. It was nothing serious."

"Why were you mad at mom?"

Sean said, "It's a long story that doesn't make me look good at all." He looked at his son and said, "Let's just say that I was a jackass, and I'd rather not talk about it."

"You did something bad to mom?"

Sean nodded and said, "Yes, but I did something even worse to your grandfather. I apologized to him, and I made up for it, thank goodness. I never liked it when Archie was disappointed in me. He was like a second father to me for a while."

Drew nodded, "And how about Ellie? Did you love her?"

"I thought I did." Sean sat down on the bed, "I cared about her a lot, but she wasn't your mom. Truthfully, no one could ever handle a candle to your mom as far as I was concerned."

"Is that why you and Ellie broke up?"

Sean shook his head, "I left Toronto after the shooting and went back to Wasaga Beach to live with my parents."

Drew said, "Ellie must have been pretty angry with you."

"She was. I left her high and dry, but I was also really messed up from the shooting."

"Have you seen her since then?"

Sean nodded, "Yep. I actually saw her about two years ago and met her husband. She looked happy, and I was happy for her."

Drew asked, "Are you going to ask mom to marry you?"

"Yes, I am. Aunt Manny is helping me find a ring."

Drew's face lit up, "Wait, really?"

Sean nodded and smiled, "Yes, really. I love your mother, and I love you, and I want us to be a family officially."

"So you'll be moving in here for good?"

"Yep."

"When?"

"Soon."

"Good." Drew looked at the room, "I thought that maybe I could get some posters of really cool cars and hang them up in here."

Sean nodded, "I can definitely help you with that. Have you thought of a paint color?"

Drew asked, "I can paint the walls?"

Sean laughed and said, "Well, we should probably check with your mom first, but I don't see why not. I can help you pick the color. I do a lot of custom paint jobs at the shop."

"That would be so cool! I'm really excited about this."

"Good." Sean stood up, "Okay, your mom made me something to eat, so I'd better go and have it."

"I'll be up in a bit."

Sean smiled and walked out of the room. When he got upstairs, Emma had his sandwich ready.

"Would you like some milk with it too?"

Sean laughed and said, "No, that's okay." He sat at the island, and Emma smiled at him, "What's the smile for?"

"I can't smile at you? What's with you guys?"

Sean asked, "What do you mean?"

"I smiled at Drew earlier, and he had the same exact reaction."

Sean smiled and said, "Like father like son."

* * *

Later that day, Sean and Drew were watching TV together while Emma was still doing work on her computer.

"Mom, are you almost done with work?"

Emma nodded, "Yep, just five more minutes. Why?"

"Just wondering."

"Your grandpa is on the way home with your homework assignments."

Drew groaned and said, "Oh great."

Sean chuckled at his son.

Emma said, "You don't want to fall behind in class, do you?"

"I guess not."

Emma turned in her chair and said, "No, you don't."

Drew rolled his eyes. "Yeah."

"By the way, think of people you'd want to come over for your birthday on Friday."

Drew asked, "We're still doing something for my birthday?"

She said, "Of course we are!"

He turned to his dad, "I just figured since you weren't feeling well that we'd have a chill night here."

Sean looked at him and asked, "Is that what you want?"

Drew nodded.

Emma asked, "Are you sure you don't want to spend time with your friends?"

"I just want dad to be comfortable."

Sean smiled, "Kiddo, invite your friends over. If it gets too much for me, I can always go upstairs."

Drew smiled and said, "Okay." He stood up.

Emma asked, "Where are you going?"

"Up to my room to write a list." He walked to the stairs, "I'll be back in a bit."

Sean watched as Drew climbed the stairs and said to Emma, "I may have accidentally let him think he could paint the room downstairs."

Emma smiled, "That's fine. It is a bit girly down there."

"I can come up with a nice color for him."

Emma nodded, "Ah, right, your custom car background."

"Yes. It comes in handy from time to time."

She smiled at him and asked, "How are you feeling right now? What's the pain like?"

"Probably about a 7."

Emma said, "I'm really sorry, babe."

Sean shrugged, "I didn't expect it to go away immediately. I figured I'd be dealing with it for a few days."

She got up, walked over to him, and sat down next to him, "I know, but I don't like seeing you in pain."

He smiled and kissed her, "Thank you."

She asked, "Did you want to take your meds?"

He shook his head, "No, right now, you being here with me is all the medicine I need."

She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder, "I love you."

"I love you."

Sean and Emma were only on the couch a few minutes when the doorbell rang.

"There's Dad!" She got up and walked over to the front door. "Hey, come on in."

Archie smiled and walked in, "I have Drew's stuff." He looked at Sean, who was still sitting on the couch and said, "Wow, I knew it was bad, but not that bad."

Sean laughed, "Yeah, thanks."

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm still sore but a little better."

"Good." He reached into his work bag and looked at Emma, "Oh, I have his paper from Marco's class." He looked around and asked, "Where is he? I want to be here when he sees his grade."

Emma smiled, then turned around and called up the stairs, "Drew! Can you come down here please?"

He called down to her, "Yeah!" Drew came down the stairs and said, "Oh, hey, Grandpa."

"Yeah, hi to you too."

Sean and Emma laughed.

"I have something for you, and I wanted you to be the first to see it."

Drew narrowed his eyes at his grandpa.

"Your paper. Mr. Del Rossi gave it to me to give to you."

"Oh." Drew took it from his grandpa, looked at the grade, and couldn't believe it. "I got an A?"

Archie smiled and nodded, "You got an A."

Drew smiled, "He said it was a good grade, but he's told me that before and they've always been Bs."

"Well, this time, it wasn't just a good grade; it was excellent."

Sean said, "Way to go, buddy."

Drew looked at his dad and said, "Thank you. It's because of you, dad."

Sean held up his hands, "All I did was answer some questions. You're the one who put the answers together and wrote a great paper."

Drew nodded.

Archie handed him the rest of his stuff. "And here's your homework for tonight."

Drew rolled his eyes, "Yeah, great. Thanks."

Archie laughed, "So, see you tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Okay, good. Well, I'd better get home." He looked at Sean, "I'm glad you're okay."

Sean smiled and said, "Thanks."

"Bye, dad."

Archie walked out, and Drew said, "I'd better take a look at all of this."

Emma nodded, "What would you like for dinner?"

"Anything, I don't care."

Sean said, "How about we order something?"

Emma said, "Sean, I can make something for you guys, it's fine."

"Okay, but tomorrow we're ordering Chinese."

Emma laughed and said, "Deal."

* * *

After dinner, Drew was upstairs in his room, catching up on his work while Sean and Emma were in the living room watching TV together.

"Em, I think I want to sleep downstairs tonight."

"Why?"

"I'm afraid that what happened earlier will happen again, and I don't want to disturb you or worse."

Emma turned to Sean and asked, "Has this happened before?"

Sean nodded.

"Because of Afghanistan?"

Sean nodded again.

Emma caressed his face, and he closed his eyes. "If that's what you want, we'll do it."

He kept his eyes closed and said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I just want you to get better, and if that's what we have to do, then we'll do it."

Sean opened his eyes, and they were brimming with tears, "Okay."

"You can tell me anything, Sean. I won't think less of you, you know that, right?" He nodded, and she smiled at him.

He took a deep breath and said, "He killed me. In my dream. He fired the gun right at me, and that's why I woke up screaming."

Emma hugged him but not too hard. She didn't want to hurt him, "I'm sorry you're going through this."

Sean pulled away and said, "It was finally getting to the point where I wasn't having so many nightmares about my experience in Afghanistan, and now this had to happen. I already have PTSD from everything that happened 10 years ago and now to have this on top of it?" He shook his head and said, "It's never going to end." Emma held his hand and let him talk. "I called my therapist's office, and she was able to fit me in early next week."

"That's good."

Sean nodded, "She's helped me a lot. I'm not sure if I'd be a functioning member of society without her help, to be honest." He looked at Emma and asked, "Are you sure you want to deal with all this?"

Emma lifted his hand and kissed it, "Yes, I'm sure. I want to help you in any way I can. And if that means giving you space to work through it, then that's what we'll do." She smiled at him and said, "But I'm only giving you space here. You are not going back to your apartment alone."

"And what about Drew?"

"He'll just have to wait a few more days before moving into the room downstairs."

Sean shook his head, "I can't help feeling like a burden."

"You're not. If I was going through something like this, you'd want to help me, right?"

"Of course, I would."

"So, it's settled." She kissed him softly and pulled away, smiling. "I love you."

"I love you."

* * *

Emma knocked on Drew's door, and he yelled out, "Come in!"

"Hey, kiddo, I need to discuss something with you." She closed his door and walked over to him.

He turned around in his chair and said, "Is everything okay?"

"Well," She sat on his bed, "Not entirely. Your dad is going to need the room in the basement for a few days."

"Is he okay?"

Emma looked at Drew and saw the worried expression on his face and decided to be open and honest with him. "Come here." Drew sat down on the bed next to her. She held his hand and said, "Your dad is going through something right now. Something traumatic." Drew nodded, "And while we're still going to be taking care of him, he's going to need to sleep alone for a few days."

"This is about the nightmare, right?"

Emma nodded, "Yes."

"I hate the person who did this to him, and I hope they catch him."

"I know, sweetie."

"I was terrified the other night, mom. I finally met my dad, and he was finally in my life, and I could have lost him."

Emma hugged Drew, and he cried. "Baby, I'm so sorry. I've been so wrapped up in your dad, and how he is feeling, I've neglected you." She rubbed his back as he cried.

Drew said, "It's okay, mom."

She pulled away and cupped his face in her hands, "No, it's not okay. I should have realized how scary this was for you too. I'm sorry."

Drew nodded, "It's okay." He wiped off his face and asked, "Will dad be okay?"

Emma nodded, "Eventually. We will help him through this."

Drew smiled, "I can help?"

"Of course you can. Honestly, just having you around will help your dad. He really loves you a lot."

"I love him too, mom."

Emma smiled and hugged Drew once more. When she pulled away, she asked, "Okay, did you catch up on everything?"

"I have one more chapter to read. We're up to Chapter 9 of Lord of the Flies."

Emma nodded, "Ah, I remember it well."

Drew smiled and said, "Do you want to tell me what happens?"

Emma laughed and stood up, "Not a chance."

Drew laughed, grabbed the book, and sat back on his bed.

"I'll be by later to say good night."

"Okay."

She walked out of Drew's room, closed his door, placed her hand on her heart, and smiled.


	24. Chapter 24

Emma and Sean were in the basement as Sean was getting ready for bed.

"Thanks for letting me sleep down here, Em."

"Like I said, I'll do whatever you need me to do."

"I know, and I appreciate it."

She kissed him and said, "Text me if you need me, okay?"

Sean nodded and kissed her again. "I love you."

"I love you."

Emma walked out of the room, and Sean listened to her footsteps above him as they approached the stairs in the entryway. When she climbed the stairs, he sighed. He was not happy about what was happening to him. Sean was afraid to fall asleep, but he needed to sleep. He was hoping he could get a few hours without having a nightmare.

Emma peeked into Drew's room, and he had passed out with his Lord of the Flies book on his chest. Emma giggled, tiptoed in, and turned off his light. She pulled Drew's blanket up, kissed his forehead, then tiptoed to his door. Emma shut off the light in the hall and made her way up to her bedroom. When Emma looked around, she sighed because she hated that Sean was downstairs, but she knew it would be better for him, and she wanted him to be comfortable.

* * *

Sean woke up screaming again. At first, he forgot where he was, then remembered he was in Emma's basement. He took a deep breath and grabbed his phone. It was only 4:30 a.m. Sean hoped he didn't wake up Drew or Emma. He got up, walked into the bathroom, and looked at himself in the mirror. His face was looking a little better, not as swollen. Sean felt a bit out of sorts, and his heart rate was accelerated from the nightmare so he did the breathing exercise, his therapist had taught him, and after he calmed himself down; he went upstairs to get something to drink.

* * *

Emma woke up at 6:30 and stretched. She went downstairs to check up on Sean, but he was already on the couch watching TV.

He looked at her and said, "Hey. What are you doing up so early?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing." She walked over and sat next to him, "Were you able to sleep at all?"

Sean shook his head, "Not really. I woke up about two hours ago and couldn't get back to sleep."

She caressed his face, "I'm sorry."

He shrugged, "I'll try it again later."

She asked, "Would you like some breakfast?"

"Only if you want to make it."

She smiled and said, "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to do it, silly."

Sean smiled, "Okay."

Emma smiled and nodded, "Okay." She stood up and walked into the kitchen, "How about some pancakes?"

"Sure." Sean got up and walked over to the kitchen island, "How did you sleep?"

"I hated that you weren't next to me."

"Sorry."

"It's okay. I get it."

"I'm going to try and sleep while you and Drew are out. That way, if I scream in my sleep again, I won't be disturbing you."

"Sean, you need to sleep at night." She asked, "Have you ever had to take medication for this?"

Sean nodded, "Yep. I took them for a while after I first got back from overseas, but I didn't like how they made me feel."

"Too groggy?"

He shook his head, "Not exactly. I felt too blah. I barely reacted to things. In either direction. Nothing made me happy, nothing made me sad, I was never mad. It was an odd feeling, and I didn't like it at all."

She nodded, "You should find out if they can give you something that you can take for sleep that won't make you feel like that."

"I know."

She asked, "How are you feeling otherwise? Any dizziness?

"No."

"Nausea?"

"No."

"Headache?"

"Yes, but that's to be expected."

Emma nodded.

"I'll be okay, Em. I promise."

"I really don't want to leave you here alone all day."

"You have to work."

She shrugged, "I don't _have_ to work. I can reschedule appointments, people can cover for me, and I can work from here."

"I feel bad though. I don't want you to put your life on hold for me."

"Sean, I'm in love with you, and I want to be with you for the rest of our lives." He smiled and she continued, "When you were in the hospital, I referred to you as my partner, and I meant that. So if you're not well, I will help take care of you." She smiled and said, "And again, if the situation were reversed, you'd be taking care of me, right?"

"Of course, I would."

"Then that settles it. I will help you, so stop feeling bad about it."

He took a deep breath and said, "Okay. I'll try."

She leaned forward and kissed him. "Good."

He looked at her and said, "You're in love with me, huh?"

She nodded, "Afraid so."

"Poor girl." She laughed and he continued, "I guess it's a good thing I'm in love with you too."

* * *

Drew came downstairs dressed for school an hour later.

Emma said, "Hey, kiddo. I made pancakes."

"Oh cool," He sat next to Sean, "Dad, how are you?"

"Better. Thanks."

Drew nodded.

Emma served Drew his pancakes and shut everything off. "I'm going to get dressed so I can drive this one to school."

Sean nodded, "Okay."

Emma went upstairs, and Sean and Drew were left alone.

"So, did you get everything done for today?"

Drew nodded, "Yep. We're reading Lord of the Flies."

"Ah, yes. We had to read that too."

"Did you like it?"

Sean shook his head, "I hated reading that stuff. The only class I liked in high school was shop class."

Drew smiled.

Emma came back down the stairs and asked Drew, "So how did reading go last night?"

"I fell asleep in the middle of Chapter 9, but I have a free period before English so I can finish it then."

Emma laughed, "Is the book that boring?"

"No! I was just tired last night."

She nodded and grinned at Sean, who shared her amusement.

Drew said, "I don't know if I like the two of you ganging up on me like this."

Emma pat him on the back, "Sorry, kiddo, but your father and I are a team."

Sean added, "That's right, but don't worry. We can always get her back."

Emma said, "Hey!"

Sean suddenly started seeing double and closed his eyes.

"Babe, are you okay?"

He nodded, "Yep. Just feeling tired."

"Are you sure?"

He kept his eyes closed, leaned on the island, and put his head in his hands. "Yeah. Don't worry about me."

Emma didn't want to press. She looked at Drew and said, "Okay, kiddo, when you finish eating, get all your stuff together. Oh, and bring down your birthday party list!"

"I still have to finish it. I was going to do that at school." Drew turned to Sean, who had opened his eyes again. "Are you sure you're okay, dad?"

Sean smiled and lifted his head, "Yep. Just tired. I didn't sleep well last night."

"I'm sorry."

"Thanks, kiddo." Sean stood up and said, "I think I'm going to try to sleep a little bit."

Emma said, "Okay. I'll come right home after I drop this one off at school. Can you think of anything you need while I'm out?"

Sean shook his head, "Not really." He looked at Drew and said, "Have a good day at school, buddy."

"Thanks."

Sean walked to the basement stairs, opened the door, and walked down.

"You're staying here with him today?"

"Yes. I want to make sure your dad's alright."

"Good."

Emma smiled at Drew, "He'll be okay, I promise."

Drew looked toward the basement door, but he wasn't so sure.

Sean walked into the bedroom in the basement, climbed into the bed and shut his eyes. He was hoping the double vision was just a result of him being tired. He didn't want to have to go back to the hospital.

* * *

When Emma got back from dropping Drew off, she went into the kitchen to clean up the bowls and dishes she used for breakfast. Suddenly she heard Sean yelling downstairs. She ran down the basement stairs and jogged into the bedroom. Sean was still asleep, thrashing around in the bed, and Emma didn't know what to do. After a few moments, he finally woke up with his eyes wide open. "Em?"

"Yeah, I'm here."

He sat up, "What happened?"

"You were having another nightmare."

He put his head in his hands, "Shit." Emma sat with him and didn't say anything. She waited for him to speak. He held her hand for a few moments and said, "Thank you for just sitting here and not forcing me to talk."

"It's a miracle, huh?"

Sean chuckled, "Oh, stop."

"I just feel bad that you're having trouble sleeping, and I wish I could help you."

"Maybe I should call my therapist and see if she can recommend someone who can put me on something."

She asked, "Are you sure?"

"I'm desperate here, Em."

"Okay," Emma stood up, "I'll give you some privacy. Do you need anything?"

"Some water."

She smiled at him and said, "You got it. I'll be right back."

When Emma walked out of the room, Sean grabbed his phone. He dialed his therapist's number and got her voicemail.

"Hi Dr. Goldberg, this is Sean Cameron. I'm having a lot of trouble sleeping. I keep having nightmares, and I need something to help me sleep. I'm desperate here. I'll see anyone and take anything. Please call me back." He left his number and ended the call. After that, he took a deep breath and got out of bed. He went into the bathroom and looked at himself. The unbruised side of his face looked tired. He sighed and walked back into the bedroom.

Emma was walking back into the room with his water, "Did you call?"

He nodded, "I got her voicemail, but I hope she could hear the desperation in my voice. I really need to sleep, Em. If I don't, it may cause me to have an episode where I won't want to leave the bed. I'll just lie here, depressed, not wanting to see or be with anyone."

Emma looked at him and said, "Okay, if that happens, I will leave you alone, if you need me to."

Sean shook his head, "This is why I should be at my apartment."

"Again, you have a head injury that I need to help you take care of, so no, you're not going over there alone." She handed him his water.

"Thanks," He took a sip and said, "I should probably call the guys and see how things are going."

"After you do that, Do you want to come upstairs and watch some TV with me?"

He shook his head, "I'm going to stay down here if that's okay."

"Of course, it is." She smiled and said, "I'll leave you alone."

"Thank you for understanding."

"Of course." She smiled at him and walked out.

Sean put the glass of water on the nightstand and got back into bed. He didn't even bother calling the shop, he just pulled the covers up to his chin and cried quietly.

* * *

A little while later, Emma was going through work emails when her phone rang.

"Emma Nelson."

"Jay Hogart."

"Oh, hey, is everything okay at the shop?"

"Yeah, I was just checking in on Seany, but I didn't want to bother him."

Emma didn't want to worry Jay, so she said, "He's okay. He's downstairs resting right now."

"Okay, well, let him know everything is good at the shop and that Drake had to postpone."

"Oh, I hope that doesn't mean bad news."

"Nah, he rescheduled for later next week. Apparently, he had to go back to LA for something. Some awards show. Whatever."

Emma laughed at how blasé Jay was being. She asked, "Anything else happening at the shop?"

"Nope, so just let him know."

"I will. Thanks for calling."

"Later."

Sean walked into the living room.

Emma smiled at him and said, "Hey, babe."

"Hi." He sat on the couch. "Everything okay?"

"Yes, that was Jay. He said everything is good at the shop and that Drake had to postpone until next week."

"Oh God, I forgot about Drake. I'm actually glad he's postponing because I want to work on his car."

Emma said, "I'm so proud of you."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes," She got up out of the chair and walked over to him. She sat next to him and said, "You realized your dream with your business."

"Yeah, sometimes I still can't believe it." He got dizzy and shut his eyes.

"Sean?"

"I'm okay."

Emma said, "You're not okay. If something is happening, you need to tell the doctor."

Sean snapped, "I just want this all to go away. I want to forget this ever happened."

"I know you do." Emma placed her hand on his right cheek, "And I'm sorry."

Sean nodded, "No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you, Em." He took a deep breath and said, "You're right. I need to call the doctor. Earlier, I saw double, and just now, it felt like the room was about to flip."

She got up and walked toward the stairs, "Forget calling, I'm taking you back to the hospital."

"Em—"

She said, "Sean, get dressed."

Sean nodded, "Okay."

Emma followed Sean up the stairs and into her room. She watched him get dressed and made sure he was okay.

As soon as he stood up after putting on his work boots, he almost immediately sat back down on the bed and grabbed his head.

"Sean?" Emma sat next to him. "What's wrong?"

"Dizzy again."

Emma rubbed Sean's back, and they sat there in silence for a few moments.

"I'm okay now."

She asked, "Are you sure?"

He slowly stood up and turned to her, "Yeah."

"Okay." She joined him, and they walked down the stairs.

When they got to the main level, Sean said, "Shit. My phone is downstairs."

"I'll get it for you." Emma went down to the basement to get Sean's phone. She noticed he had a voicemail. When she got back upstairs, she gave it to him, "You have a voicemail."

He looked and said, "Shit, that was Dr. Goldberg." He listened to the message and said, "She left me the name of a doctor who can prescribe something."

"Maybe the doctor at the hospital could do it too?"

"I hope so. I need something." He grabbed his coat and handed Emma her jacket.

"All set?"

Sean nodded.

* * *

When they got to the hospital, they had to wait a bit for the doctor to be available. He was in surgery. After an hour in the waiting room, he walked in.

"Hello, Mr. Cameron."

"Hi, doc."

"I'm glad you listened to me." Sean nodded. "Well, come with me and tell me everything that's been happening."

Emma looked at Sean and said, "I'll be right here."

He nodded and followed the doctor. They walked down the hall, stepped into an office and sat down. "So, what's been going on?"

Sean took a deep breath before he spoke. He wanted to tell the doctor everything. "I'm a veteran of the war in Afghanistan and have been battling PTSD for 10 years now." The doctor nodded, "I finally felt like I got a good handle on it, and then this robbery happened. Now I feel like I'm back to square one. I'm having nightmares again, and I can barely sleep. On top of that, I'm getting dizzy, I see double, my mood changes from minute to minute and the headaches are unbearable even with the medication you gave me. My partner doesn't know most of this because I don't want to burden her, but I got dizzy in front of her, and she insisted I come here."

"She was right to do that."

Sean nodded and said, "I know. I'm desperate here, doc. I need something to help me sleep."

"Okay, before I do that, I want to examine you again. I may have to admit you into the hospital."

"What? Why?"

"Because your head injury may be worse than we initially thought, and it would be safer for you here. We can monitor you and make sure you're okay."

Sean shook his head, "This is the worst timing. My son is turning 14 this weekend, and it's the first birthday I'm ever getting to spend with him."

The doctor looked at him and said, "I think your son would rather have you in here than unconscious or worse on his birthday."

"You mean it could be that bad for me?" The doctor nodded. Sean sighed and said, "You're right."

After the doctor examined Sean, he said, "I have to admit you."

Sean nodded, "Okay."

"Stay here. I'll go get your partner."

"Thanks, doc."

The doctor walked down the hall and into the waiting room. When Emma saw him, she could tell something was wrong.

He asked, "Can you come with me?"

Emma just nodded and followed him down the hall to the office. When she walked in, she could see a look of worry on Sean's face. "What's going on?"

"We're admitting Sean into the hospital. His symptoms indicate that the head injury is worse than we originally thought."

Emma's eyes filled with tears, "Is he going to be okay?"

"He will be if he's with us while he recovers. We can keep an eye on him and monitor any sudden changes and take care of him."

She sat down next to him and grabbed his hand, "Are you okay with this?"

"I have to be."

She nodded, "Okay."

* * *

Once Sean was settled in his room, Emma sat beside him and held his hand.

"I can't believe this."

"Sean, it's okay."

"I'm going to miss Drew's birthday, Em. This is the first birthday I would get to spend with him, and now it's ruined." Emma didn't say anything. "That wasn't a dig."

"I know. I just feel horrible because it's my fault you haven't spent any birthdays with your son."

Sean closed his eyes, "Why did this have to happen? Things were going well for us."

"This is just a blip, Sean. You will get better, and everything will be good again."

He opened his eyes again and asked, "How do you know?"

She shrugged, "Sometimes you just have to have faith and believe that things will get better; otherwise, they won't."

Sean shook his head, "I'm so angry, Em. I finally felt like I had a good enough grasp on my PTSD. Sure, I still had some rough patches here and there, but it was a lot better than it was when I first got back from Afghanistan. I could barely function then. And it feels like it's heading that way again."

"But now you have Drew and me." He had tears in his eyes and couldn't say anything, "We both love you, and we're going to help you through this, okay?" Sean nodded. Emma kissed his hand and smiled at him. "And speaking of Drew, I need to call dad to tell him what's happening."

"Poor kid. He's going to be worried about me."

"We'll just explain everything to him and make him feel like he's a part of this. I want to be honest with him. Is that okay with you?"

Sean nodded, "Yes."

"Okay, I'll be right back. Try to rest a little."

Sean nodded again and closed his eyes.

Emma walked out into the hall and found a quiet place to call Archie.

He picked up his cell right away, "Em, is everything okay?"

She finally broke down and said, "No, Sean's back in the hospital." She composed herself long enough to ask, "Can you help me with Drew?"

"Of course, sweetie. Are you back at St. Michael's?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I'll bring him there, if that's alright."

"Thank you. Sean's in room 416."

"I'll see you in a bit."

Emma ended the call and immediately called Manny.

"Em? Is everything okay?"

"No," She couldn't stop crying.

"Is it Sean?"

"Yes." She choked out the words, "He's in the hospital again."

"What room? I'll be there as soon as possible."

"416."

"Okay, go to a bathroom, splash some water on your face and try to calm down. I know it's scary, but Sean needs you to be strong for him."

"I know."

"I'll see you soon."

"Okay."

Emma ended the call, looked around for a public bathroom, and when she found one, she walked in, and splashed cold water on her face. She looked in the mirror and said, "He has to be okay. He just has to be."


	25. Chapter 25

Archie waited for Drew at the front entrance of Degrassi, and Drew could tell from the look on his grandpa's face that something was wrong.

"Grandpa, what's the matter?"

Archie placed his hand on Drew's left shoulder and said, "They admitted your dad into the hospital, kiddo."

Drew's eyes grew wide, and he asked, "Is mom there with him?"

"Yes, she is, and she wanted you to be there too if you're up to it."

Drew nodded, "Yes, I want to see my dad."

"Okay. I can take you."

Drew shook his head, "I knew something was wrong with him this morning. His eyes looked weird."

Archie asked, "They did?"

Drew nodded, "Yeah. It was like they couldn't focus."

"Head injuries are tricky, but the hospital is the best place for him." Archie said, "Just give me two minutes, and I can take you over there, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks, grandpa."

Drew stood by the doors, and Oliver walked up to him. "Hey man, how's your dad?"

"He's back in the hospital." Drew's eyes filled with tears, "He's in bad shape."

Oliver didn't know what to say, "Wow. Drew, I'm so sorry."

Drew wiped his face and said, "Thanks, we're going over there now."

"Well, I hope he feels better soon." Oliver was about to walk out, then he turned to Drew and said, "Call me if you need me, okay?"

Drew nodded and said, "Okay."

Oliver walked outside, and Archie walked over to Drew, "Ready?"

"Yes."

"Let's go."

* * *

Manny stepped out of the elevator and looked at the signs. Room 416 was to the left, so she made her way down the hall.

Emma was in Sean's room, holding his hand. He had nodded off while she was making her calls. The doctor had given him a sedative so he could rest, and so far, it was working.

Manny whispered, "Hey, babe."

Emma wiped off her face, "Thank you for coming."

She looked at Sean and asked, "So how is he?"

"The injury is worse than they thought. And the doctors felt it would be better for him to be here so they can monitor him."

Manny nodded and walked over to Emma. "I'm sorry this is happening."

"I'm just so glad you're here right now."

"I hate that I have to leave you in a few days."

"You can't put your career on hold. This pilot is a big opportunity for you." Manny nodded, then Emma asked, "Did you tell Jay?"

"Yeah, he'll be over after he helps Pete close up the shop."

Emma stood up, "Let's go outside so we can talk."

They left Sean's room and closed his door so that he wouldn't be disturbed.

Manny looked at Emma and asked, "So how are you?"

"I'm terrified, Manny. Drew finally has his dad in his life, and I couldn't bear it if something happened to him."

Manny hugged her, "They will take good care of Sean here, Em. I know it."

"I hope so." She pulled away and wiped her face again. "I can't be a wreck when Drew gets here. He's scared enough as it is."

"Is Archie bringing him?"

Emma nodded, "Yep. They should be here any minute."

Manny looked down the hall and waved at Archie and Drew. "Perfect timing."

Drew jogged to his mom, "Where is he? Can I see him?"

Emma cupped Drew's face in her hands, "Sweetie, your dad is asleep so you can go in there but just be quiet." She fixed his hair and said, "The doctor gave him something to help with the pain and help him sleep."

"So, he won't have nightmares?"

Emma shook her head, "He shouldn't. No."

Drew nodded, "Good. So can I see him?"

"Yes," Emma linked arms with Drew, and they walked over to the door. She opened the door and let Drew walk in ahead of her.

He walked over to his father's bed and looked at him. Sean looked relaxed as he slept, and the swelling had gone down a bit on the left side of his face.

Emma joined Drew and asked, "Are you okay, kiddo?"

Drew nodded, "He looks better. Not as swollen."

Emma smiled, "Yeah, thank goodness, some wounds are healing."

"Just not the head wound, right?"

"It's just going to take a little longer." Emma wrapped her arm around Drew and rubbed his shoulder.

"Mom, let's wait to have my birthday party."

"Are you sure? You could still have some friends over this weekend if you want. To take your mind off this."

Drew shook his head and said, "I want dad to be there to celebrate with me, so if we have to wait until later this month or even April, that's fine."

Emma smiled at her son and kissed his cheek, "You're a good kid." Drew rolled his eyes, and she squeezed him, "You are."

"Thanks."

* * *

A couple of hours later, Sean was still sleeping, and Archie was about to take Drew home.

Drew shook his head and looked at Sean, sleeping, "I don't want to go home yet. I want to be here when dad wakes up."

Emma said, "Sweetie, we're not sure when that'll be. He hadn't had a lot of sleep, and what the doctor gave him will help him catch up."

Drew pouted then said, "Fine."

"I will call you when he wakes up, okay? As long as it's before your bedtime."

"Okay."

"Now, please try to do your homework tonight. I know that it'll be hard to concentrate, but I don't want you to fall any further behind in your classes."

Drew nodded. "I'll try."

Archie said, "I'll hang out with him and help him if he needs it."

"Thanks, dad." Emma hugged Archie, "For everything."

"You're welcome." He pulled away and said, "Your mom will sleepover tonight."

Emma smiled, "Tell her she can sleep in my room."

"Will do. Call me if you need anything."

"I will."

Drew hugged his mom and said, "Don't forget to call me if he wakes up."

"I won't."

Drew and Archie walked out, and Emma sat back down in the chair next to Sean's bed.

Manny walked back in and said, "You need to eat something."

Emma shook her head, "I don't want to leave him."

"I'm not asking you to. I'm going to the cafeteria, and I'm getting something for you."

Emma smiled and said, "Thank you." She looked past Manny and asked, "Where's Jay?"

"He's on his way. He said he had a busy day and wanted to shower before he came over here."

Emma nodded.

"I'll be back in a bit."

"Thank you."

Manny winked at Emma and walked out.

Sean stirred a bit and called out Emma's name. "Emma."

"I'm right here."

Sean opened his eyes and focused on her, "Hey, gorgeous."

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired."

She kissed his hand, "The doctor gave you something so you could sleep."

He nodded, "Oh, okay."

"Drew was here earlier."

Sean sighed, "I'm sorry I missed him. Is he okay?"

"He's worried about you. We all are."

Sean nodded, "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. It's not your fault."

He closed his eyes, "I'm so tired."

She rubbed his hand, "Go back to sleep. You'll feel better."

"Okay." He opened his eyes, focused on her again, and smiled, "I love you, Em."

She smiled back and said, "I love you too."

He fell asleep again, and she held onto his hand.

A few minutes later, Jay knocked on the door, and Emma smiled when he walked in. He looked at Sean and asked, "So how is he?"

"He just woke up for a few moments."

"Oh, yeah?"

Emma nodded and looked at Sean, "Yeah, I think he should sleep. It's better for him."

"Where's Manny?"

"She went down to get me something to eat."

Jay stood on the other side of the bed and looked at Sean, "Em, I was fucking terrified when I found him." Emma nodded. "He wouldn't wake up, and I thought the worst."

She shook her head and said, "I can't imagine what that was like for you."

"I was so relieved when he woke up."

Emma smiled and said, "I'm glad you were there, Jay."

He nodded, "Pete said that while Sean is in here, we will set up a buddy system, so no one closes the shop alone."

"You should keep that system after he gets better too."

Jay nodded. "We will."

Manny walked in, "Hey. I got you a salad."

"Thanks."

She handed it to Emma and walked over to Jay, "Are you okay?"

He nodded and stared at Sean.

* * *

Drew tried to do his homework, but he couldn't stop thinking about his dad.

Archie knocked on his door, "Drew?"

"Yeah, come in."

Archie walked into Drew's room and asked, "How's it going?"

Drew shook his head, "Not well. I can't concentrate at all."

Archie sat on the end of Drew's bed and said, "I don't blame you."

"I know mom wanted me to try to do my homework and I did, I really did."

Archie asked, "Do you want to stay home from school tomorrow?"

Drew asked, "You'll let me?"

Archie nodded, "You won't be able to concentrate there either."

"But, I already missed a day this week."

"It's okay. I can explain everything to your teachers, and they will give me your work for the weekend."

Drew said, "Thanks, grandpa. I really mean it."

"You're welcome. Just try to do something, so you're not so behind."

Drew nodded, "I will."

Archie stood up and said, "Your grandma will be here with you tonight."

"Do you know if dad woke up at all?"

Archie shook his head, "I don't know, but your mom did say she'd call you if he did."

"Can I see him tomorrow?"

"Of course. Someone will take you there in the morning." Archie stood up and said, "Either grandma or Aunt Manny."

Drew nodded. "Thanks again."

"No problem." Archie walked out of Drew's room and closed his door.

* * *

Manny and Jay stayed with Emma for a few hours.

"Em, are you going to stay here?"

She nodded.

"Who's with Drew?"

"My mom is sleeping over."

"Do you need me to stay at Jay's?"

Emma shook her head and said, "No, you can stay in the basement if you want." Emma looked at Jay and said, "You too."

Jay smiled and asked, "Do you need us to bring you anything tomorrow? I can drop stuff off before work."

"I'm okay for now. Thanks." She looked at Manny and said, "Drew is staying home from school tomorrow, so if you can bring him here, that would be great."

"Of course." Manny hugged her and said, "Let us know if you change your mind about us bringing you something, okay?"

Emma nodded, "I'm sorry he didn't wake up while you were here."

Jay looked at Sean and said, "It's better that he sleeps, right?"

"Yeah." Emma held Sean's hand. "But I wish he'd wake up so I know he's okay."

Manny placed her hand on Emma's shoulder. "He will."

* * *

The hospital allowed Emma to stay in Sean's room, and they set up a cot for her. She kissed Sean before she got settled in the cot, and she fell asleep within minutes. A few minutes later, Sean stirred and looked around. He forgot where he was at first, and then Sean saw Emma lying down, saw the IV in his arm, and he remembered. He watched her sleep for a little while, but he couldn't keep his eyes open and fell back to sleep.

* * *

Drew lay awake in his bed. He checked his clock, and it was nearly 2 a.m. He wondered what was happening with his dad, but he had no way of finding out. He turned over and tried to fall asleep.

* * *

Emma woke up early in the morning when a nurse came in to check up on Sean.

The nurse smiled at her and apologized, "I'm sorry if I woke you."

"It's okay." Emma sat up, "I'm not sleeping a lot these days, anyway."

"He's looking a lot better."

Emma nodded. "Yeah, I just wish the head wound would heal a little quicker."

"These things take time." The nurse wrote some stuff down, "But so far, so good."

Emma stood up and walked over to Sean, "That's good to hear."

"I can come by later and bring you some breakfast if you like."

"Oh, that's okay. I can go to the cafeteria, but thank you for the offer."

"You're welcome."

When the nurse walked out, Emma got into the bed with Sean and snuggled up against him. He stirred, looked at her, and asked, "Emma? Is that you?"

"Yeah, hi. How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"Can you tell your dad I'm sorry for stealing his laptop?"

Emma cocked her head to the side and asked, "What?"

"I was a jerk, Em. I was mad at you, I wasn't thinking straight, and I took Snake's laptop. So please tell him I'm sorry. Okay?"

Emma held his hand and said, "Okay."

"I'll spend all summer making it up to both of you, I swear."

Emma smiled, "I know you will, Sean."

"Good." He looked at her and said, "I'm so tired, Em. Would you mind if I went to sleep again?"

"Not at all."

"Okay. I still love you. You know that, right?"

Emma nodded and smiled.

"Good." Sean closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Emma couldn't believe what just happened and hoped it wasn't a sign that Sean's head wound was getting worse. She stayed in bed with him for another hour but got up when the nurse came back in.

"Good morning."

"Hi."

The nurse asked, "Did he wake up?"

"He did."

"That's good."

Emma shrugged, "I don't know. He thought he was 15 again."

The nurse looked at her, "He did?"

Emma nodded and looked at Sean, "He apologized for something he did back in high school and thought he had just done it."

"It's probably the meds. Not the head injury. They make you kind of loopy."

"I really hope so."

"Don't worry. He's healing well and being sedated is helping." The nurse checked his wound and said, "He may just be a little out of sorts because of the meds so don't be alarmed if something like that happens again."

Emma nodded, "Thanks."

The nurse asked again, "Are you sure you don't want breakfast? I can bring you something."

Emma smiled and said, "My friends will be coming in a bit. I can get something then."

"Okay."

The nurse walked out, and Emma sat down next to Sean. She caressed the right side of his face, and he moved his face against her hand. "Sean?"

He opened his eyes and smiled, "Hi, gorgeous."

"Hi, how are you feeling?"

"Okay. I'm exhausted." He looked at her, "How long have I been here?"

"Just a day. Not too long."

"It feels like I've been here for years."

"It's the meds."

He nodded and asked, "How's Drew? Is it his birthday yet?"

"Yes."

Sean closed his eyes and said, "I can't believe I'm missing it."

"Don't worry, babe. He understands. He just wants you to feel better. We all do."

He nodded and opened his eyes again, "When I get out of here, after we celebrate Drew's birthday, I want to get married as soon as possible."

Emma smiled, "Really?"

Sean nodded, "Yes. I already know which ring I want to give you." He looked at her and said, "I probably shouldn't have said that huh?"

Emma laughed, "It's fine. Don't worry."

"I guess we can blame the head injury."

"Sean!"

He smiled, "I'm going back to sleep."

"Okay." She kissed him and smiled, "I love you."

"I love you too." He closed his eyes, and she watched him sleep for a little while.

* * *

Jay dropped off Manny and Drew at the hospital early in the morning, and they went straight to Sean's room. Manny knocked on the door, opened it, and saw Emma and Sean asleep in his bed. She turned to Drew, put her finger to her mouth, and he nodded. Manny smiled at the sight of them and quietly walked over to the chair next to the bed. Drew looked at his parents and walked over to Sean's bed. He looked at Manny and whispered, "They really do love each other a lot."

Manny smiled and nodded, "They certainly do."

A few minutes later, Emma woke up.

Manny whispered, "Good morning."

Emma smiled and sat up, "Hi." She looked at Drew and reached out her hand, "Come here, sweetie. Happy Birthday."

"Thanks." He walked around to the other side of the bed, stood next to his parents and asked, "How is he?"

"He's okay. He's sleeping a lot."

"Is that good?"

Emma nodded, "The nurse says he's healing well."

Manny asked, "Did you eat yet?"

Emma shook her head, "No, and I need coffee badly."

"You also need to go home, shower, and change."

Emma shook her head again and said, "No, I don't want to leave him."

"It will only be for a little while, and we can stay with him while you're gone. It'll be fine."

Emma looked at Drew, who nodded and said, "I don't mind staying here, mom."

She smiled at her son and said, "Okay." Then asked Manny, "How am I getting home?"

Manny said, "We can order an Uber for you."

Emma nodded, "Right, and then I can bring my car here later."

"See? Perfect."

Emma got off the bed, and Sean stirred, "Em?" He opened his eyes and saw Drew, "Hey buddy, how are you?"

Drew said, "Forget about me. How are you?"

"Pretty exhausted, but my head doesn't hurt anymore."

Drew smiled and said, "That's good."

"I'm glad you're here." Sean reached out and held Drew's hand.

Drew said, "You look better."

Sean said, "Oh yeah? Is my face not as swollen?" Drew nodded. "So, I'm not as ugly as I was a couple of days ago?"

Emma scoffed, "As if you could be ugly."

Sean joked, "I don't know. I was looking pretty rough there."

Drew shook his head.

Emma looked at Sean and said, "I was heading home just to shower and change."

"Yeah, I didn't want to tell you, but you were smelling ripe, Em."

"Sean!"

"I'm kidding." He yawned and said, "I'm tired again."

Emma caressed his face and said, "Go back to sleep. We'll be here when you wake up."

"Okay," Sean looked at Emma and Drew and said, "I really love you guys."

Drew smiled and said, "We love you too, dad."

Sean smiled then said, "Oh, and Happy Birthday, kiddo."

"Thanks, dad."

Sean closed his eyes and went back to sleep

Emma wiped a tear from her face and took a deep breath, "I'm glad you were here for that."

Drew hugged his mother and said, "Me too."


	26. Chapter 26

Emma went home to shower, get changed, and look at some work emails. Spending most of her time at the hospital exhausted her, and she wished she could take a nap, but she also didn't want to be away from Sean for too long.

As she was looking through her inbox, Emma noticed an email from a seller and gasped. They accepted the buyer's offer on the Indian Road home, which meant a considerable commission would come her way. "Oh, my God." She was ecstatic. This house was her white whale, and she didn't think it would ever happen. The owners were stubborn and didn't like to budge when offers came in. She dialed her boss's number and waited for him to answer.

"Emma? Is that you?"

"Yes, hi." She took a deep breath and said, "I've got great news."

"Oh?"

"The seller finally accepted the buyer's offer on the house on Indian Road."

"Emma, that's fantastic! Congratulations!"

"Thank you."

"I know how long you've worked on that house, and I know how hard it was to get the sellers to budge."

"I really can't believe it. I didn't think it would ever happen."

"Will you be stopping by the office at all?"

She grabbed her work bag and said, "I have to go back to the hospital but I can come by later this afternoon if you need me to."

"I meant to ask you, how is Sean doing?"

"Well, the doctor seems to think he's healing well, so hopefully that's the case, and he'll get to come home soon."

"Good to hear. And congratulations again."

"Thanks again. I still can't believe we finally got them to accept an offer."

"You are my best agent, so I'm not surprised."

Emma smiled and said, "Okay, I gotta run, so I'll see you later?"

"Sounds good."

Emma ended the call and took a deep breath. The commission from the house on Indian Road was huge, and she was already thinking of ways to spend it.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Sean's hospital room, Drew sat in the chair next to his dad while Manny was outside in the hall, making a phone call.

Sean opened his eyes and smiled at Drew, "Hey, buddy."

Drew stood up and asked, "Hi, dad. How are you feeling?"

"Better. I'm glad you're here." Drew smiled, and Sean said, "When I get out of here, we'll throw you a big bash for your birthday, okay?"

Drew shook his head and said, "It doesn't have to be a big bash, dad. I'm only turning 14."

"But it's the first birthday I'm getting to spend with you, and I feel bad that you're here when you should be at school getting embarrassed by your friends."

"The only one who would embarrass me is Oliver." Drew asked, "What did kids do when you were in school?"

"Usually, they decorated our lockers, sprayed us with silly string, stuff like that."

Drew nodded, "Yeah, it's usually the girls who decorate each other's lockers. Knowing Oliver, he'd just try to spank me all day."

Sean laughed, and Manny came back into the room, "Hey Santos, everything okay?"

"Yes. How are you feeling?"

"Better. Still a bit tired but the pain is nearly all gone."

Manny nodded, "You look a lot better. Your eyes are focusing more."

"Good because I want to get out of here as soon as possible so we can celebrate this one's birthday." He motioned toward Drew and smiled.

Manny nodded and smiled, "You will."

Sean looked around and asked, "Emma's still not back?"

Manny said, "She's on her way."

"Oh, good." He sat up and stretched, "I'm so stiff."

"Well, you've been in bed for a couple of days."

Sean sat back and said, "I should probably call the guys and see how things are going."

Manny shook her head, "Don't worry about it. They have everything under control. They just want you to feel better, okay?"

Sean nodded. Drew looked toward the door and smiled, "Hey, mom."

"Hey!" She looked at Sean and smiled, "Wow, you look alert right now."

"I feel a lot better."

"Good!" She walked over and kissed him. "I have some good news."

"Oh yeah?"

"The house on Indian Road sold."

Sean asked, "Was that the one you showed me? Oh no, that was Lytton Boulevard. Right?"

Emma nodded, "Right. This is the other big one that's been on the market a while, and I didn't think the owners would ever accept the buyer's offer."

"That's great, babe!"

Drew asked, "What's so special about this house?"

Emma looked at him and said, "Well, I will be getting a lot of money because I sold it."

"How much is a lot of money?"

Emma smiled and said, "I could buy you an Aston Martin for your 16th birthday."

Drew looked puzzled, "Is that a nice car?"

Sean said, "It costs over $200 thousand, kiddo."

Drew asked, "Would you do that?"

Emma laughed and said, "Of course not!" Manny and Sean also laughed and Emma said, "But I _could_ if I wanted to."

Drew shook his head, "That's a lot of money, mom. What are you going to do with it?"

Emma shrugged, "I don't know yet, but I was thinking of helping out grandma."

Sean looked at Emma and said, "You could renovate the salon with that kind of money."

Emma nodded, "That's what I was thinking. The tough part will be convincing my mom to take the money."

Just then, the doctor walked in, "Well, look who's up."

Sean smiled, "Hey, doc. Can I go home yet?"

"Not quite, but it looks like it's going to be sooner rather than later."

Manny looked at Drew and said, "Hey, kiddo, let's get something to eat."

Drew nodded and walked out of the room with Manny.

Emma looked at the doctor and said, "I can stay in here, right?"

"Yep."

Emma leaned up against the windowsill and watched as the doctor examined Sean. He checked the wound, checked Sean's eyes, and his reflexes.

"Things are looking good." He asked, "How's the pain?"

"I don't feel anything, but that's the meds, right?"

"Well, we lessened the pain med over the past 6 hours to see how you'd respond, and you seem to be doing well."

Sean nodded, "My head doesn't hurt other than being a little sore near the wound. I don't have a pounding headache anymore. Thank God."

"Good. We're going to lessen the sedative as well, so you're not so sleepy."

"Okay."

Emma walked over to Sean's bed and held his hand, "How soon do you think it will be before he can leave?"

"Right now, we'll aim for Sunday just to be safe." Emma nodded, and the doctor looked at Sean, "As I've said a few times, you can never be too careful with a head wound." He wrote something down then said, "Okay, I'm going to have them bring you some lunch."

"Thanks, doc."

"You're welcome. I'll be back before my shift is over to check you out again, but, so far, so good."

Sean smiled, and Emma said, "Thank you, doctor."

"You're welcome." The doctor walked out, and Emma smiled at Sean.

Sean smiled back and said, "Thank you for staying here with me."

"You're welcome. I'm just so glad you're doing better."

"So am I. The sooner I get out of here, the sooner we can celebrate Drew's birthday for real."

* * *

A little later, as Sean was eating his lunch, Detectives Arbour and Smyth stopped by. After they greeted Sean and Emma, Detective Arbour said, "Mr. Cameron, we have some good news."

"Oh?"

Emma grabbed Sean's hand, bracing for the news.

Detective Smyth said, "Yep. We got the guy who did this to you."

Sean asked, "Are you sure?"

Detective Arbour nodded, "We are very sure. Your description of his eyes helped, and well, he tried to rob another place not too far from yours and we nailed."

"I hope he didn't hurt anyone else."

Detective Smyth said, "He didn't. Just tied them up and threatened them but no physical violence this time."

Sean shook his head and said, "I guess I was the lucky one."

Detective Arbour said, "He owed money to a big drug dealer, apparently and was so desperate for it, he started robbing places on your block."

"Wow." Sean looked at them and said, "Well, I'm glad they caught him. Now let's hope he'll get locked up for a while."

Detective Smyth said, "Oh, he will be. Don't you worry. We also busted the dealer for good measure."

Sean nodded then asked, "Do you need me to pick him out of a lineup or anything?"

Detective Arbour shook his head and said, "Nope, we got someone else to do that."

"Oh, good." Sean looked at Emma and said, "I didn't want to do that anyway."

Emma caressed his face.

Detective Smyth said, "Well, we just wanted you to know that he's in jail and that you won't have to worry about him anymore."

"Thank you. I appreciate that."

Detective Arbour asked, "When are you getting out of here?"

Sean said, "Hopefully, by Sunday."

"That's good." He turned to Sean and Emma and said, "Well, good luck with everything, and I'm glad you're feeling better."

"Thanks."

When the detectives walked out, Sean exhaled and said, "That makes me feel a lot better."

Emma leaned over and kissed him, "Me too."

"I really can't wait to get out of here. I want everything to be normal again."

Emma smiled, "Well, Sunday is only two days away."

"I just hope that the nightmares don't come back." Emma nodded and held his hand. "I want to be able to sleep with you in my arms and not have to worry about accidentally hurting you."

"If they do, you can ask Dr. Goldberg to help you out, right?"

Sean nodded.

* * *

Drew and Manny walked back into the room after they ate lunch in the cafeteria, and Drew walked over to his parents. "Is everything okay?"

Sean nodded, "Yep, the cops came by and told me caught the guy who robbed me, and he's in jail."

"They did?"

Emma nodded and smiled, "Yep. And the doctor is hoping that your dad will be home by Sunday."

Drew smiled, "That's great!" He looked at his dad and said, "This is a good birthday." Sean's eyes teared up, and he nodded at Drew. "Dad, please don't be upset."

Sean wiped his face and said, "Sorry, I can't help it."

"We're here together, you're getting better, and that's all that matters."

Sean nodded and smiled, "Okay, but we are getting you a cake this weekend."

Drew smiled and said, "I'd never refuse a cake."

Emma laughed and said, "He's not kidding."

Sean smiled and asked, "Oh yeah? What is your favorite cake?"

"Funfetti."

Sean said, "I'm not sure I've ever had funfetti cake. I was also all about chocolate cake when I was younger."

Emma laughed and said, "He would eat it for breakfast."

Drew looked at his dad incredulously and asked, "Did you, really?"

Sean nodded, "Yeah, with chocolate milk. I was a little chubby that year."

Both Manny and Emma giggled.

Emma said to Drew, "Your dad also went through an Eminem phase."

Sean shook his head, "Must you bring that up?"

Drew laughed, "An Eminem phase?"

Manny took out her phone and found a picture of Eminem from 8 Mile and showed it to Drew. "Your dad dressed like that every day. A hoodie, a bandana, a tuke, and big baggy jeans."

Emma chimed in and said, "Don't forget the chain attached to his wallet."

"You two are enjoying this, aren't you." Emma and Manny nodded then Sean said, "Your aunt Manny had a thong phase, and we've already discussed your mom's weird hair."

Emma looked at Sean and said, "But you still liked me anyway, even with my weird hair."

Sean smiled and said, "I did."

Drew looked at Manny and asked, "You wore a thong to school?"

"Underneath my jeans!"

Emma said, "It wasn't really underneath them. It was sticking out."

"Fine, it was sticking out."

Drew laughed, "You're all weird."

* * *

Sean stayed awake for close to three hours, and Emma and Manny joined him in telling Drew funny stories from junior high and high school.

"A bird pooped on you before the date even started?"

Sean nodded and looked at Emma, "That should have been our clue that the rest of the date would be a disaster."

Emma laughed, "I know." She looked at Drew and said, "I thought he hated me."

"Meanwhile, I liked her even more after that date."

Emma shook her head, "I was just glad you overlooked the bad hair."

"You could have been bald, and I still would have liked you."

Emma held up her hands and said, "Okay, let's not go overboard."

Drew smiled at his parents. "I still can't believe you met at Degrassi."

Manny asked, "Have you met anyone yet?"

Drew shrugged, "Not really."

Emma looked at him and said, "I'm surprised no girls are crushing on you. You are pretty adorable."

Drew blushed and said, "Mom…"

"You look just like your dad did at your age, and I crushed on him. I'm sure I'm not the only girl who thought he was cute."

Manny said, "I always thought your dad was cute."

Sean laughed and shook his head, "Okay, now _I'm_ embarrassed."

"Even guys crushed on your dad."

Drew asked, "Really? And that didn't bother you?"

Sean shook his head, "Not at all. I've always known I was straight, and it's not like anyone could have or would have even tried to convert me." He looked at Drew, "Why? Do you think a guy has a crush on you?"

"No. At least, I don't think so."

Emma asked Drew, "What would you think if a guy showed an interest in you?"

Drew shrugged and said, "I don't know. I hadn't thought about it."

Sean said, "Well, I'm glad you aren't horrified by the thought of it because I would have had to set you straight. No pun intended."

Drew shook his head, "A friend of mine has gay parents."

Sean asked, "Oh yeah?"

Drew nodded and said, "Yep, he has two dads, and they're pretty cool."

Emma asked, "How is Braden? Have you talked to him lately?"

"We play Call of Duty every once in a while."

Sean asked, "Where is he?"

"He moved away last year."

Emma said, "John and Thomas, his dads, are great guys. Thomas got a new position in his company, and they moved to Montreal before the spring term of last year."

Sean nodded. "I can't believe I've been awake this long."

Emma asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yes! I'm glad you're all here."

Drew smiled.

Emma walked over to her work bag and grabbed a phone, "By the way, I know I was supposed to take this away from you for three months, but you can have it back."

Drew's eyes lit up, "Thanks, mom!"

"You're welcome. You've earned it."

Sean looked at Drew and asked, "What did you do to get it taken away?"

Emma said, "He just kept getting detention after detention, and I threatened to take it away if he got one more. Then he did."

"I was a jerk." He looked at his mom and said, "I won't be like that again, I promise."

Emma smiled and said, "Good."

Drew looked at his phone and said, "It's been so long since I've used it. I've forgotten what to do."

Emma laughed, "Very funny."

Drew texted Oliver right away, "I got my phone back."

Sean said, "This is a big month for you, kiddo. You got your phone back, and you're going to be moving into the basement."

"And you're going to live with us."

Sean smiled. "Yep."

"That's the best birthday present."

Emma smiled at Sean, who smiled at his son.

* * *

When Emma went to the office, Drew and Manny hung out with Sean.

"You guys, I feel bad that you have to hang out here with me when you could be doing something fun."

Drew scoffed, "Like what? School isn't fun."

Sean laughed, "True. But I feel bad for your Aunt Manny."

Manny smiled, "This is fine, Sean. I'm glad I can relax because I won't be relaxing next week."

"When are you flying back to L.A.?"

"Monday. We start shooting on Wednesday."

Sean nodded, "Well, I hope they pick it up."

Manny laughed, "Me too. I'm getting a reputation of only being in failed pilots."

Drew was texting Oliver.

Sean joked, "You haven't been able to tear yourself away from that phone since your mom gave it back to you."

Drew said, "Sorry," then put his phone in his pocket.

"Kiddo, I was just joking around."

"I'm just texting Oliver. He was asking about you."

Sean smiled, "Oh yeah? It's nice that he's concerned."

"Maybe he'll finally get to meet you."

Sean nodded, "That would be nice. I'd like to meet your best friend."

Drew smiled.

* * *

When Emma got back to the hospital, Jay was there with Sean, Manny, and Drew.

"Man, I'm so glad to see you alert and talking."

Sean smiled, "I'm glad I'm alert and talking." He looked beyond Jay and said, "Hey babe."

"Hi. It's a party in here, huh?"

"I was just filling in Sean on what's been happening at the shop." Jay looked at Emma and said, "We can get out of here and leave the family alone if you want."

Emma shook her head, "Don't be silly. Stay."

Manny asked, "Did you do everything you needed to do at work?"

"Yep. Everything's done for the week and I don't have to worry about anything until Monday."

"That's good."

Emma walked over to Sean and grabbed his hand, "How are you?"

"I'm great. Really."

"Okay."

"I'm actually hungry again."

Emma looked at her phone, "Well, they will probably be bringing you something to eat soon." She looked at Drew, "Are you hungry?"

He nodded.

Manny looked at Jay and Jay said, "Hey kiddo, come with us. We can go to the cafeteria."

Drew looked at his parents, "Can I?"

Emma scoffed, "Of course!"

"Okay."

Manny looked at Emma and Sean, "We'll be back in a little while."

They walked out of the room and Emma cuddled next to Sean on the bed.

Sean smiled and said, "This was a good day." Emma nodded. "I just wish I didn't have to be in here for his birthday."

"I know. You'll be home soon and we'll celebrate."

Sean kissed her hair. "I didn't know I could feel the kind of love I feel for our son, Em."

Emma's eyes teared up and she kissed his cheek.

"It was almost immediate. I wanted to protect him and you."

She smiled, "That's because you're a good man, Sean Cameron."

"I guess."

Emma looked at him, "You are."

"Thank you."

* * *

Sean was eating his dinner when Manny, Jay, and Drew came back.

Manny asked, "Em, are you staying here tonight?"

Sean answered for her, "No, she's going home and getting some sleep."

"I am?"

Sean nodded, "I insist."

Emma shook her head, "But I don't want to leave you."

"Em—"

"No, I am staying with you."

Sean shook his head, "Babe, I want you to go home and sleep. I'm fine, I promise."

Emma sighed and said, "Fine."

"I'll keep you company, mom."

She smiled at Drew and said, "I know you will."

Sean said, "And I'll be back home annoying you before you know it."

"You never annoy me."

Jay rolled his eyes, "You two are still sickening." Manny slapped his arm. "Ow, I'm kidding."

Sean yawned and Emma caressed his face, "Okay, we will leave you so you can sleep." She kissed him and smiled, "I love you."

"I love you."

Drew walked over and hugged Sean, "Goodnight, dad."

"Goodnight, kiddo. Happy Birthday."

"Thanks."

Jay shook Sean's hand, "I'll come by in the morning before I head over to the shop."

Sean nodded, "Everything's good?"

"Yep. Everything is good."

"Okay." Sean smiled and said, "Just making sure."

Jay winked at him and walked over to Manny. They walked out together and Emma looked at Sean, "I'll come by in the morning."

Sean smiled and nodded. When they all walked out of the room, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.


	27. Chapter 27

"Drew, wake up." Drew groaned. Emma stepped into his room and said, "It's 9:30. I let you sleep a bit."

Drew sat up, "When are we leaving to go see dad?"

"After you shower and get ready."

He yawned and stretched, "Okay." He swung his legs over the side of the bed and said, "I really can't wait for him to be home with us forever."

"Me too, kiddo. Me too."

Drew stood up and walked past his mother. "I won't take long."

"Okay." Emma smiled at Drew and walked out of his room. He went into the bathroom, and she walked downstairs. Manny was sitting at the kitchen island, and Emma greeted her, "Good morning."

"Hey, babe. How did you sleep?"

"Pretty well. I think it's because I know Sean is getting better and that he'll be home soon."

Manny smiled, "I made you some coffee."

"Thanks." Emma grabbed a mug and poured her coffee. "So, what are your plans today?"

"I can come to the hospital with you. I want to spend as much time with you guys as possible before I leave."

Emma smiled and asked, "And how are things with you and Jay?"

"They're great."

"And how does he feel about you leaving?"

Manny shrugged, "He hasn't said anything about it."

Emma nodded, "Ah, right. If you don't talk about it, it doesn't exist."

Manny rolled her eyes, "It's like I told Sean the other day, Jay is here, and I am in L.A. 90% of the time. It won't work."

"Manny, it's obvious you two love each other."

"Fine, I'll admit that, but again, he's here, and I'm in L.A."

Emma smiled and said, "There are auto shops in L.A."

Manny shook her head and said, "No, I couldn't ask him to do that."

"Why not? Manny, I wasted years of my life not being with Sean, and after finally getting him back in my life, I could have lost him the other night. Don't make the same mistake I made. If you love each other, you will figure out a way to make it work."

Manny sipped her coffee and nodded.

* * *

Sean was in his hospital room, eating his breakfast, and watching T.V. when there was a knock on his door.

"Yeah?" The door opened and when he caught a glimpse of his visitor, he smiled, "Wow, long time no see."

Marco Del Rossi walked into Sean's room, "Archie filled me in on what was happening, and I wanted to see how you were doing." They shook hands. "It's good to see you."

"You too. Sorry, I look so rough." Sean muted the T.V. and sat up.

Marco laughed, "I'm just glad you're doing better."

"Thanks." Sean pointed at the chair near his bed and said, "Sit, please."

"Thanks." Marco sat down and asked, "Where's Emma?"

"She and Drew are coming in later."

Marco nodded, "So, how shocked were you when you found out about Drew?"

"I saw him walking out of Degrassi." Sean shook his head, "And I couldn't believe my eyes."

"Wow, that must have been jarring given the resemblance."

Sean nodded, "It was. What was it like for you when you first saw him?"

"It was as if I was transported back in time. Drew is so much like you."

Sean laughed, "Yeah, I know. We're hoping his behavioral issues will improve now that I'm in his life."

"Well, he's already turning things around, so I'd say you being in his life is a good thing for him." Sean smiled, then Marco asked, "And you and Emma?"

"Manny is helping me pick out a ring."

Marco smiled, "Good for you."

Sean asked, "How about you? Anyone special in your life?"

Marco shook his head, "I got a divorce two years ago, and my love life has been kind of quiet since then. Work is busy, and truthfully, I'm still not ready to open up to someone else."

Sean nodded, "I understand that. I used to joke that I was married to my job. Then Emma reappeared, and everything changed."

Marco nodded, "You two always had that connection."

Sean smiled, "Yeah. Little did I know there was more of a connection than I ever could have dreamed."

Marco smiled, "I'm happy you two found your way back to each other."

"Thanks."

Marco and Sean were deep in conversation when Manny, Emma, and Drew arrived.

Emma smiled when she saw Marco, "Hi!"

"Hello." He stood up, and they hugged hello. Marco looked at Drew and said, "Hi, Drew."

"Hi, Mr. Del Rossi."

Marco looked at Sean and said, "Well, I'm going to head out."

Emma said, "No! Stay, don't leave on our account."

Marco shook his head, "I have things to do. It's my Costco day." He looked at Sean and said, "I know, so exciting."

"Thank you for coming by, man. I appreciate it." They shook hands.

"You're welcome."

Manny walked out into the hall with Marco, and Emma walked over to Sean, "Hello."

He smiled and said, "Hi."

"How are you feeling?"

"I feel good. No headaches, no nightmares, and the only pain I feel is around the wound."

"Good." She kissed him and smiled. "Hopefully, this means you're coming home soon."

Sean crossed his fingers, and Emma giggled.

She asked, "How was breakfast?"

"Not bad for hospital food." He looked at Drew, "Hey, kiddo. How's 14 treating you so far?"

"So far, so good."

"Good."

"It'll be even better if you come home tomorrow."

Sean nodded and said, "The doctor will let us know later."

Emma sat on the bed next to Sean, and Drew sat in the chair. "How did you sleep?"

Sean grabbed her hand and said, "Aside from the nurses coming in and checking on me every few hours, I slept okay."

"Good."

"And you?"

"I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow."

He smiled and kissed her hand.

"Your face is looking better today."

"Oh?"

Emma nodded, "Yep. The swelling is mostly gone. Now you're just bruised."

"Oh, good."

Emma laughed and kissed his cheek.

* * *

About an hour later, the doctor came into Sean's room.

"Hey, doc. Please tell me you have good news for me."

"I do. You can go home tomorrow."

Both Emma and Drew cheered, and the doctor laughed.

Sean smiled, "Thank goodness."

"I still want you to take it easy for a few days. No work until Wednesday."

Sean nodded and said, "I can do that."

"Great. So I'll get the paperwork ready, and you will be discharged tomorrow morning."

"Thanks, doc."

When the doctor walked out, Emma hugged Sean and kissed him, "I'm so glad you're coming home."

Drew said, "Me too."

"Me three." Sean laughed then said, "We can celebrate your birthday tomorrow, so invite your friends over."

Emma asked, "Are you sure?"

Sean nodded, "Yes. If I feel tired, I can always go upstairs." He looked at Drew and said, "Besides, I want to meet Oliver."

Drew smiled and said, "Can I just invite Oliver? I don't mind having a low-key birthday."

Emma said, "If that's what you want."

"That's what I want."

Emma said, "Then it's settled. You'll invite Oliver, I will bake you a funfetti cake, and we'll have a dinner of your choice."

"Thanks, mom. Can Jay and Manny be there too?"

"Sure!"

"I guess we should invite grandma and grandpa too." Drew looked at Sean and asked, "Are my other grandparents alive?"

Sean nodded, "Yep. They live up in Wasaga Beach."

"Do they know about me?"

"Not yet." Sean looked at Emma then back at Drew, "We don't have the same relationship that your mom has with her parents."

Drew asked, "Do you think they'd be happy to hear about me?"

Sean smiled and nodded, "You're their first grandson."

"Oh yeah?"

"You have three cousins. All girls. They're out in Calgary."

Drew nodded.

"One is older than you, and the other two are younger."

"Will I ever meet them?"

"Maybe someday if they all come back to Toronto." Sean looked at Emma, "I don't think we'll be heading out to Calgary any time soon."

Emma smiled, "I've never been to Calgary. My parents went one time to see Joey."

Sean asked, "He's still out there?"

Emma nodded, "Yep! And he finally married Caitlin."

Sean smiled, "So they finally got it right, huh?"

Emma kissed him, "Yes."

Drew looked at his phone and said, "Oliver can come tomorrow."

Emma clapped her hands together and said, "Great! Do you know what you want for dinner?"

"Let's just order pizza."

"Are you sure? Because I can cook something."

Drew shook his head, "You're already baking a cake."

"So? I can do both. It's not a problem."

Drew shook his head again, "It's okay. I'm fine with pizza."

Emma smiled, "Okay."

Manny walked back into Sean's room and said, "It was good to see Marco. I hadn't seen him in so long."

Sean nodded, "Yeah, that was a nice surprise."

Drew said, "I thought it was weird to see my teacher here."

Sean and Emma laughed.

Drew asked, "Ms. Kwan isn't going to visit later, is she?"

Sean shook his head and said, "No, kiddo." Then he joked and said, "At least I don't think so."

* * *

Jay arrived just as Sean was finishing his lunch.

"Hey, man."

"Hey, how's the shop?"

"Everything is fine. You have a well-oiled machine there, Seany."

Sean nodded, "Good. I'll be back Wednesday."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yep. I'm leaving here tomorrow, but the doctor doesn't want me to return to work until Wednesday."

"That's great news."

Sean nodded and said, "I know."

Jay looked around and asked, "Where is everyone?"

"I made them go downstairs to eat some lunch. They should be back soon." Sean pushed his tray away from his bed and asked, "So, what's going on with you and Manny?"

Jay shrugged, "We're just having some fun while she's here."

"Oh, bullshit. You're in love with that woman."

"Doesn't matter. She's in L.A., and I'm here."

"There are shops in L.A."

Jay asked, "Are you trying to get rid of me?"

Sean smiled and said, "Not at all. I just want my friends to be happy."

Jay rolled his eyes and said, "Fine. It's killing me that she's leaving on Monday, and I wish she'd stay."

Sean smiled, "That's all I wanted to hear."

"And how about you? What's going on with you and Emma?"

"Well, after what happened earlier this week, I'm not taking any chances. I'm going to ask her to marry me."

Jay smiled, "I figured."

"Well, she knows because I told her I wanted to get married, but I want to surprise her with a proposal."

"You need help getting a ring?"

Sean shook his head, "Nope. Manny showed me one that she thought Emma would like, and it was perfect." He heard footsteps and said, "Time to change the subject."

"Yeah, so, as I said, everything is fine at the shop. The guys miss you."

Emma, Manny, and Drew walked into the room, and Sean smiled. He asked, "So, how was lunch?"

Emma said, "Not bad."

Manny put her arm around Jay's waist, and he kissed her hair.

Drew looked at Manny and Jay and said, "You two should get married."

Emma and Sean shared a look and smiled. Manny and Jay looked embarrassed.

"You know I'm right." Drew continued, "My parents should get married too."

Sean looked at his son and smiled, "We will don't worry." Emma squeezed Sean's hand and kissed his cheek.

Jay turned to Manny and said, "So how about it, Santos?"

"How about what?"

He asked, "Wanna get married?"

Manny laughed and asked, "Are you crazy?"

"I'm crazy about you."

Manny cocked her head to the side and asked, "Wait, you're serious?" Jay got down on one knee, and both Manny and Emma gasped. Manny shook her head and she said, "Jason Hogart—"

Jay stopped her, held her hand, and said, "I don't have a ring yet, but I love you, Dimples. You're the only woman I've ever loved, and you will be the only woman I ever love for the rest of my life. I know the distance sucks but I will do whatever it takes to make this work."

"Oh, my God."

"So, Manuela Santos, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Manny wiped her face and nodded, "Yes."

"Yes?"

She kept nodding and said, "Yes, I will."

Jay stood up, picked her up, and hugged her. "I love you."

"I love you." Manny kissed him, then buried her head face in his shoulder.

Sean looked at Manny and Jay and said, "Congratulations!"

Emma wiped tears off her face then hugged Manny, and Jay and Sean shook hands.

Jay smiled at Sean and said, "Thanks."

Emma hugged Jay then said, "You two better go out and get a ring. You still have time before stores close."

Jay nodded and looked at Manny, "Want to?"

"Yes!"

"Okay." Jay looked at Sean and said, "We'll be back later." Jay and Manny left the room and Sean looked at Emma in shock.

"Wow, I wasn't expecting that at all."

Emma shook her head and walked back over to Sean, "We definitely won't be seeing them until sometime tomorrow."

Sean laughed and said, "Good for them."

Drew looked at his parents and smiled, "You're next."

Sean smiled at his son, and Emma kissed Sean's cheek.

* * *

Later that afternoon, while Emma and Drew were grabbing a quick snack to eat, the doctor came in to check on Sean.

"Hey, doc."

"Hey there, Mr. Cameron." He opened his chart and said, "I have more good news for you."

"Oh yeah?"

The doctor nodded and said, "I'm discharging you early."

He handed the papers to Sean who sat up and asked, "What? Really?"

The doctor nodded and smiled, "Yep." He handed Sean a pen and Sean signed them, "You're doing well, and as long as you promise to take it easy for a few more days at home, I will let you go today."

Sean held up his right hand as if he were being sworn in at court, "I promise to take it easy." The doctor laughed and Sean handed the papers back to him. "I do not want to be stuck here again. No offense."

"None taken." He walked over to Sean, and Sean leaned forward so the doctor could check his wound. "Looking good. The wound is healing nicely. Does it still hurt?"

"Not really. Now it's just itchy."

"Yep, that's what happens. The stitches will have to be removed next week so you can come back here and I'll do that for you."

"When?"

"Tuesday."

"Great!"

The doctor wrote some more stuff down in his chart and said, "I'm glad you're not feeling any pain."

Sean laughed and said, "Me too."

The doctor put his chart down, removed the I.V.s from Sean's arm then placed a band-aid on each spot. After he finished, the doctor said, "You can leave as soon as possible." Then he asked, "Can you have someone bring you home?"

Sean nodded, "My partner and son are downstairs grabbing a snack. I can go home with them."

"Good." He handed Sean the bag with his clothes. "Here you go."

"Thanks, doc. I appreciate everything you've done for me."

"You're welcome. And remember if any of the symptoms you were feeling come back, you need to come in."

Sean nodded, "I know."

The doctor walked out and Sean swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He waited a few moments before standing up just to be safe. When he did stand up, he groaned because he was feeling stiff. Then he stretched and walked over to the window. Sean was thrilled to be going home.

Emma and Drew came back to his room a few moments later, and Emma gasped, "Sean! What are you doing?"

He turned and smiled, "They're discharging me today."

Emma smiled and walked over to him, "Really?"

He nodded, "Yep. I signed the paperwork, the doctor removed the IVs and I can leave as soon as possible."

"I'm so happy." She hugged him.

"Me too, dad." Sean extended his hand to Drew, who grabbed it and smiled.

Sean said, "Maybe we can celebrate your birthday tonight instead?"

Drew shook his head, "No. We can do it tomorrow. You should take it easy tonight."

Emma nodded, "He's right."

Sean smiled, "Okay. We'll have a low-key night together as a family."

Drew smiled, "Sounds perfect."

Sean grabbed his bag of clothes and walked toward the bathroom, "Let me get dressed so we can blow this pop stand."

Drew looked puzzled, "Is that an old person saying?"

Emma laughed and said, "Yes."

Sean walked into the bathroom and got dressed. He inspected his face and noticed just how much the swelling went down. When he finished, Sean walked out of the bathroom and smiled at Emma. "I'm ready."

Emma walked over and grabbed his hand. She turned to Drew and said, "Ready, kiddo?"

"Yes, let's go home."

* * *

Emma keyed into the house and opened the door. Sean followed Emma and Drew inside and he smiled.

"I'm so happy to be back here."

"We're happy you're back." Emma kissed him and said, "Do you want to take a bath or a shower?"

"I think I can take a shower. I'll just be careful around the wound."

Emma nodded, "Okay."

Sean looked at her and said, "I probably stink, right?"

Emma shook her head, "It's not _that_ bad."

Sean laughed and said, "I'll be back in a bit."

"Okay."

Sean walked upstairs and Drew flopped onto the couch.

Emma looked at Drew and said, "I'll be right back."

"Take your time, mom."

Emma shook her head and climbed the stairs. When she got to the third level, Sean was walking into the bathroom.

"Hey."

"Hi." Emma opened a cabinet and said, "Towels are here."

"Thanks." Sean smiled, grabbed one and asked, "Are you going to join me?"

Emma shook her head, "Not yet. You need to take it easy."

"Okay." Sean peeked out of the bathroom and said, "I won't be too long."

Emma smiled and said, "Okay. We'll be downstairs waiting for you."

When Emma walked back into the living room, Drew was on the couch watching T.V. He looked at his mom and asked, "Why are you back down here?"

"Because your dad is showering."

"Oh," Drew looked at the T.V. and said, "I figured you'd join him."

"Andrew!"

"What? I'm not a kid, mom. I know that you and dad love each other and I know you have sex."

Emma shook her head and asked, "So how do you feel about Chinese food for dinner?"

"That's fine with me."

"Good." Emma was happy she successfully changed the subject. She looked at her son and couldn't help but giggle to herself.

* * *

Sean walked back downstairs after his shower and joined Drew on the couch.

"How was your shower?"

"I stood there for a few minutes before I did anything. It felt so nice."

Emma walked in from the kitchen and said, "That rainfall showerhead is divine."

Sean nodded, "It really is."

"Do you want anything? A drink? A snack?"

Sean shook his head, "Nope, I'm okay for now."

Emma sat on the loveseat and said, "We're doing Chinese for dinner. I hope that's okay."

"Of course it's okay." Drew stood up and Sean asked, "Where are you going?"

"Mom, switch places with me."

Drew sat in the loveseat and Emma joined Sean on the couch.

She smiled and said, "Hi."

"Hello." Sean wrapped his arm around Emma and she snuggled into him.

After a few minutes of watching T.V. as a family, Drew stood up again. "I'm going upstairs."

Emma looked at him and asked, "Is everything okay?"

Drew nodded, "Yep. You two need some time alone."

Sean asked, "Are you sure?"

"Yep. I'll do some work now so I'm not stuck doing it tomorrow night."

Emma said, "Good idea. We'll let you know when the food arrives."

"Mom, can we get dumplings tonight?"

"Sure."

"Cool, thanks."

Drew walked up the stairs and Emma smiled at Sean. Sean raised an eyebrow and said, "Yes?"

"I've missed this."

"You've missed sitting on the couch with me?"

Emma caressed his face, "I'm so glad you're home and that you're okay."

Sean smiled, "So am I." Emma's eyes filled with tears and he kissed her. When he pulled away, he cupped Emma's face in his hands. "I love you."

"I love you." She closed her eyes and blinked away the tears, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get upset."

He wiped her face with his thumbs and kissed her again. As he pulled away, he smiled and said, "I wish I could make love to you right this second."

Emma smiled, "So do I."

"But we have to wait. Doctor's orders."

Emma pouted and asked, "How long do we have to wait?"

"He said I can go back to work on Wednesday."

"So Wednesday morning before breakfast?"

Sean smiled and said, "You can be my breakfast." Emma laughed and he said, "I don't know if I can wait that long."

"How about this? We can try later tonight and if it's too much for you, we'll stop."

"Okay." He quickly kissed her and stood up.

"Where are you going?"

"I am getting a glass of cold water to pour on my crotch."

Emma laughed and said, "Sorry, but not really."

Sean said, "Yeah, yeah, yeah," and walked gingerly into the kitchen.


	28. Chapter 28

Sean and Emma were together on the couch when Drew came back downstairs. He was holding his copy of _Lord of the Flies_.

Emma asked, "Hey, kiddo. What chapter are you up to?"

"I'm almost done with chapter 11. I figure I can finish the book tonight."

Sean asked, "Do you like it?"

Drew shrugged and said, "It's okay, I guess."

Emma smiled, "I'm glad you're catching up on your work."

Drew sat on the loveseat and looked at his parents, "You don't have to worry, mom. I will do my work, and I'll behave. You know I want to go back to work with dad."

Sean smiled and said, "You just want to come in when Drake's car is there."

Drew smiled, "Maybe."

Emma turned to Sean and asked, "When is that happening?"

"Later this week. I'm pretty excited. I can't wait to get back to work."

"You should be excited. This is huge. Drake is like the most popular person on Earth right now."

Sean chuckled, "That's a good point."

"Are you nervous about meeting him?"

"Nah, he's just a customer to me."

Emma laughed and said, "Yeah, sure."

Sean smiled and said, "Okay, I'm a little nervous. I don't want to screw anything up."

Drew said, "You won't. Your shop is the best, dad."

"Thank you, kiddo."

Emma said, "I wonder how the newly engaged couple is doing."

Sean said, "I'm sure they're having a lot of fun right now."

Drew asked, "How old were you guys when you lost your virginity?"

Emma looked at Drew and said, "We were a lot older than you are right now."

"Really?"

Sean nodded, "Yep."

"Were you each other's first time?"

Emma smiled and nodded, "We were."

Sean laced his fingers with hers and asked Drew, "Are any of your friends having sex yet?"

Drew shook his head, "No. At least not that I know of. Most of them haven't kissed anyone yet."

Emma asked, "Have _you_ kissed anyone?"

Drew blushed and said, "Once. On a dare."

Sean raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Oh yeah?"

He shrugged, "It was weird. I'd rather kiss someone I like."

Emma smiled and said, "It is pretty nice when you kiss someone you like and who likes you back."

"Was dad your first kiss too?"

Emma nodded, "Yep. We kissed at grandma and grandpa's wedding."

Sean added, "During a slow dance."

Drew nodded. "I'm kind of jealous."

Emma asked, "Why, sweetie?"

"Because you had each other back then."

Sean said, "And then we lost each other and had each other again and lost each other again." Emma laughed, and Sean continued, "Don't rush it, buddy. It'll happen for you, and when it does, it'll be great. I promise."

Drew smiled at his dad and said, "Thanks."

Emma sat up and said, "So, are we ready for dinner?"

Drew nodded.

"Great, let's figure out what we're eating, and I'll call."

* * *

20 minutes later, Emma grabbed her keys, "Okay, I'm going to pick up dinner." She walked toward the front door, then turned to Drew and Sean and asked, "Can you think of anything else we may need?"

Drew said, "Can you get me a Sprite?"

"Sure." She looked at Sean, "And you?"

Sean shook his head, 'Nothing for me."

"I'll be back soon!" She walked out and closed the door.

Drew looked at his dad then looked away.

"You okay, kiddo?"

Drew shrugged.

"It looks like you want to say something, but you're afraid."

Drew nodded.

"You can tell me anything, you know that, right?"

"Anything?"

"Of course." Sean looked at his son and asked, "What's going on?"

Drew took a deep breath, "I don't think…" He couldn't finish.

"Drew?"

He shook his head and said, "Forget it."

Sean got up and sat next to Drew on the loveseat, "Drew, it's obvious you are struggling with something."

Drew nodded, "I am."

"You can tell me. I won't judge you, I promise."

"Okay." Drew looked down at his hands and said, "I don't like girls."

Sean looked at Drew and asked, "Okay. When did you realize this?"

"Last year."

Sean nodded and asked, "Do you like someone?"

Drew nodded.

"Is it Oliver?"

Drew looked at Sean and nodded again. "He doesn't know, and I don't think he likes me in _that_ way."

Sean smiled at Drew and asked, "Do you realize how brave you are?"

"I am?"

"Yes. I know that wasn't easy for you."

"Do you still love me?"

Sean scoffed and said, "Of course I do! Come here." Sean hugged his son and smiled, "I will never stop loving you, kiddo."

Drew rested his forehead on Sean's shoulder and began to cry.

"It's okay." Sean rubbed Drew's back as he cried, and he comforted his son. "You're okay." After a few minutes, Drew pulled away and wiped his face. Sean asked, "Do you feel better?"

Drew nodded, "Yeah."

"Is there a reason you haven't told your mother about this?"

Drew shrugged, "I don't know. I felt like it would be easier to talk to you about it."

"Because you know your mom would be fine with this."

Drew nodded, "Yeah."

Sean smiled and said, "I'm honored that you felt comfortable enough to tell me this."

"Well, I heard what you said in the hospital and saw how accepting you were when mom told you about Braden's dads."

"So, are you going to tell your mom?"

Drew nodded, "Yes. You'll be there when I do it, right?"

"Of course."

"Okay." Drew exhaled and smiled, "I do feel a lot better."

"Good!" Sean stood up, "Now, let's set the table before your mother gets home."

Drew joined him, and they set the table.

* * *

When Emma came home, she smiled at Drew and Sean, "Look at how nice you set the table!"

Sean joked and said, "Well, I figured we could do _something_ while you were out."

Emma walked up to Sean and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you." She also kissed Drew on the cheek and set the bag of food on the kitchen island. She walked over to the sink and washed her hands, and as she walked back toward the table, she noticed Drew's eyes were red. "Sweetie, were you crying?"

He nodded.

"Are you okay?"

He nodded again.

She looked at Sean, "Is he okay?"

Sean nodded, "Yes."

"Um, mom. I need to tell you something." Drew looked at Sean, and Sean nodded at him. Drew said, "Let's sit down." Emma sat at the table, and Drew sat next to her.

Sean sat across from them, and Emma looked at him, "You know what he's about to tell me."

Drew answered and said, "I told him just before you got home."

Emma grabbed Drew's hands and said, "Sweetie, you can tell me anything."

Drew nodded, "I know."

"Okay."

Drew looked at his mom and said, "So you know how we were just talking about first kisses and being with people."

"Yes."

Drew took a deep breath, and Emma smiled at him. "Why are you smiling at me?"

"You like someone, don't you?"

"Yes, but—"

Emma looked at Sean, then looked at Drew and said, "And you're worried because it's not a girl."

Drew nodded.

"Oh, sweetie, you have nothing to worry about!" Emma hugged him, "Love is love. And if you like boys and you don't like girls, that's perfectly okay! Or if you like both of them, that's also okay."

Drew sighed in relief and smiled.

When they pulled away from the hug, she asked, "Is the person you like Oliver?"

Drew scrunched his face and asked, "Is it that obvious?"

"No! Not at all. You're okay." She held his hand and asked, "Do you feel better now?"

Drew nodded, "I do. I feel a lot better now."

"Good." Emma looked at Sean, then looked at Drew and said, "Your dad and I love you no matter what. And we'll support you no matter what."

"Thank you."

Emma smiled, hugged him again, quickly kissed his cheek, and said, "Now let's eat before the food gets cold."

Drew stood up and said, "I'll be right back."

"Okay."

He walked over to the stairs and looked at his parents. "I love you guys."

Sean smiled and said, "We love you too, kiddo."

Drew walked up the stairs, and Emma looked at Sean, "I had a feeling."

"You did?"

Emma nodded. "I did. Are you okay with it?"

Sean smiled and said, "I am perfectly okay with it."

"Good." She stood up and grabbed the food. "I just hope Oliver doesn't break his heart."

"Yeah, I'm a little worried about that too." Sean added, "But if it does happen, we'll make sure Drew's okay."

Emma smiled and said, "I don't think I loved you more than I do at this moment."

Sean smiled and said, "The feeling is mutual."

* * *

During dinner, Sean looked at Emma and Drew and said, "This has been a good day."

Emma winked at him.

Sean said, "So, tomorrow."

Drew said, 'Yes?"

"Pizza and cake?"

Drew nodded.

"And Oliver is coming over?"

Drew nodded again. "You guys aren't going to embarrass me and make it obvious, are you?"

Emma and Sean both answered, "Of course not!" in unison, then laughed.

Drew shook his head and couldn't help but laugh at his parents.

Sean said, "But if you want to invite more friends, you can."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

Emma nodded, "Invite a few more people, sweetie. The more, the merrier."

"Okay. I'll text some people."

"Great!" Emma looked at Sean and smiled.

Sean said, "We'll get a couple of pizzas and," He looked at Emma, "Do you have the ingredients for the cake?"

"I was going to head out tomorrow morning and get everything."

Sean smiled at Drew, "It'll be another good day."

Drew exhaled and said, "I hope so."

"And if you kids want privacy, you can always hang out downstairs."

"Cool! Thanks, mom."

"You're welcome."

* * *

After dinner, Drew went up to his room, and Sean helped Emma clean up.

"I got you a frame for Drew's jersey."

Sean smiled and said, "Thanks."

"Maybe we can do that tonight and present it to him tomorrow."

"Perfect."

"So you're really okay with everything?"

"Em, when he told me, I was proud of him for being so brave. And then I felt proud that he trusted me enough to tell me."

Emma caressed his face, "He really loves you a lot."

"I really love him a lot. He's a great kid, and you did a great job with him."

She nodded.

"You really did."

"Thank you. I'm just glad you're here with us now."

"Me too." He kissed her and smiled, "So, would you like to cuddle on the couch and watch crappy TV?"

Emma nodded, "Yes, I would."

* * *

"How's this look?" Sean held up the framed jersey and showed it to Emma.

"It looks perfect! He'll love it."

"Good." Sean put it behind the couch. "I'll just give it to him like this. We don't need to wrap it."

"That's fine." Emma looked toward the stairs, "Maybe he fell asleep?"

"It's possible. It's been a long and emotional day."

"It certainly has been." Emma stood up and stretched, "I'm going to check on him." She walked over to the stairs and said, "And if he's asleep, I'm dragging you downstairs."

Sean laughed.

Emma climbed the stairs and slowly opened Drew's door to find him passed out on his bed. She walked over to him and placed his blanket over him. He stirred, pulled the blanket up to his chin, and said, "Thanks, mom."

"You're welcome, sweetie. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

She walked to his door, smiled at her son, shut off his light, and walked out. Emma quietly closed the door and walked back downstairs. She walked over to Sean, smiled down at him and held out her hand.

"He's asleep?"

She nodded. Sean stood up, and Emma walked him to the basement stairs. When she walked him into the bedroom in the basement, she said, "It feels like we haven't done this in months."

Sean looked at her and asked, "Wait, are you able to do this?"

Emma nodded, "I'm a little late this month."

Sean raised his eyebrow and said, "Oh?"

"It's probably stress, don't worry."

Sean smiled, "I'm not worried."

"Good." She lifted his t-shirt, and Sean lifted his arms. She pulled his shirt up over his head, and she asked, "Did that hurt?"

Sean shook his head, "Nope."

"Okay, good." She untied his lounge pants and smiled at him.

"I love when you're aggressive like this. It's hot."

Emma pulled his pants down and said, "Oh yeah?"

Sean nodded, "Mmm-hmm."

"Well, it's because I'm insanely attracted to you. And I'm in love with you."

Sean reached down and unbuttoned and unzipped Emma's jeans. "Hey, I'm insanely attracted to you, and I'm in love with you too."

"Aren't I a lucky girl?"

Sean tugged at her shirt and pulled it up over her head. He turned her around, so she was up against the bed, and he pulled down her jeans. When they were left in their underwear, Emma climbed back onto the bed, and Sean climbed on top of her.

She asked, "Are you sure you're okay?"

Sean nodded, "Yes."

Emma raised her head, and they kissed.

* * *

"That was nice."

Sean smiled and kissed Emma's hair, "Yes, it was."

She looked up at him and said, "I'm glad we didn't wait until Wednesday."

Sean laughed and said, "Me too." He kissed her, pulled away, and said, "I wouldn't have been able to wait that long."

"Me either." She sat up and leaned against the headboard. "I'm so glad you're here and that you're safe."

She caressed his face, and he turned his face to kiss her hand. He smiled and said, "So am I." Emma yawned, and Sean laughed. "Did I tire you out?"

"Maybe."

"I'm just kidding. It's been a long day." Emma nodded and he asked, "Should we sleep down here?"

Emma nodded again, "We'll just make sure we're up early."

"Okay."

Emma looked around, "Ugh, my phone is upstairs."

"So is mine."

She got out of the bed, grabbed a blanket off the foot of the bed, and wrapped it around her. "I'll be right back."

Sean smiled and said, "Okay."

Emma walked through the basement, up the stairs, and looked around for her phone. After a few minutes, she finally found it on the coffee table in the living room. When she returned to the basement, Sean was holding the blanket open so she could come back into bed. "Thank you." She set her alarm, placed the phone on the nightstand, shut the light, and turned toward Sean. "I love you."

"I love you."

She kissed him softly and snuggled into his chest. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Em."

* * *

Sean woke up before Emma's alarm went off. He watched her sleep for a little while and caressed her face. She stirred and smiled, "Good morning."

"Good morning, beautiful. How did you sleep?"

"I slept great knowing you were here, and you were okay."

Sean smiled, "I'm sorry I woke you up before your alarm went off."

She stretched and reached for her phone, "It's okay." She canceled the alarm and turned back toward Sean, "We have some time before our child wakes up."

"Oh yeah?" Sean traced his fingertips up and down Emma's left arm.

She nodded and smiled, "Yeah."

"What would you like to do?"

"I would like to make love to you if that's okay."

Sean nodded, "It's more than okay."

"Good."

* * *

Sean and Emma made love, showered, and got dressed before Drew even woke up.

"I miss being a teenager and being able to sleep 10 hours."

Emma laughed, "Yeah, me too." She opened the cabinet and looked at what they had and said, "I'm going to make chocolate chip pancakes."

Sean smiled and said, "That'll be a nice belated birthday breakfast for the boy."

"I know. And for us."

"Heh, yeah." Sean sat at the island and watched Emma cook.

Emma was almost done with her first set of pancakes when Drew walked down the stairs, "Good morning, kiddo. I am making chocolate chip pancakes for you."

Drew smiled and said, "Nice." He sat down at the island next to Sean and said, "Good morning, dad."

"Good morning, buddy. How did you sleep?"

"Like a log." He asked Emma, "Did you turn off my light last night?"

"I turned off your light and tucked you in."

"Wow, I don't even remember that."

Sean rubbed Drew's back, "You had a long day."

"A good, long day."

Sean smiled and nodded.

Emma placed the first set of pancakes in front of Drew, "Here you go."

"Thanks, mom."

"What would you like to drink?"

"Milk, please."

"You got it." Emma opened the fridge, got the milk out, grabbed a glass, and placed them in front of Drew, "You can pour it yourself." She winked at him.

Sean asked, "So who is coming over today?"

"I invited three other people besides Oliver. My friends Ethan, Josh, Jake, and Madison."

"Honey, is Maddie going to be uncomfortable being the only girl?"

"Nah, you know how Maddie is. She doesn't care."

Sean asked, "Do your other friends know about what happened to me?"

Drew nodded, "Yeah. Don't worry. They'll probably see the bruises and think you're a badass."

Sean laughed.

Emma served Sean his pancakes and said, "After I finish breakfast, I'm going to head out to the market to get the ingredients for the cake."

"Mom, are you actually going to eat chocolate chip pancakes?"

"Don't act so shocked!"

Drew shrugged and said, "I just figured you'd eat that awful, tasteless cereal."

"Very funny." She messed up his hair, "Today is a celebration!"

Drew blushed, "It's not _that_ big a deal."

Sean looked at him and said, "Sure it is. This is the first birthday I get to spend with you."

Drew smiled and said, "That's true."

"Just think, a month ago, I didn't know you existed."

"And now?"

"And now, I couldn't imagine my life without you in it." Sean wrapped his arm around Drew and Drew smiled.

Emma wiped a tear off her face and smiled. Her phone buzzed and she looked at it, "Oh, Manny and Jay are alive."

Sean laughed.

"They want to know what time the festivities are starting."

"I told everyone to come by at 1. Is that okay?"

Emma smiled and said, "It's perfect."


	29. Chapter 29

"So, how do I look?" Drew stood in front of Sean, straightening up his outfit. They were in Drew's room and were only moments away from the start of his birthday party.

Sean smiled at his son and said, "You look great." He laughed and said, "You also look so much like me at that age. It's jarring sometimes."

Drew smiled and said, "Did you actually dress like Eminem when you were my age?"

Sean shook his head, "I will never live that down."

Drew laughed, then looked at Sean and said, "I hate that I'm this nervous about my friends coming over."

"It's natural to be a little nervous."

Drew shrugged and looked at himself in the mirror. "Were you nervous when you first asked out mom?"

Sean nodded, "I was so nervous. Embarrassingly nervous," He smiled, thinking back to that infamous Friday morning. "I practiced what I wanted to say in the mirror in the boys' washroom, and then it all went out the window as soon as I walked up to her."

"Really?"

Sean nodded, "Yep." He looked at Drew and asked, "Are you planning on asking Oliver out?"

"God, no! I guess I'm just nervous because this is the first time I'm seeing him since I admitted to anyone that I had feelings for him." Drew turned to his dad and asked, "Are you sure I look okay?"

Drew was wearing a gray and black plaid shirt over a black graphic t-shirt with dark jeans and white sneakers. "You look better than okay." Sean walked up to him and said, "Here, I want to show you something I do to calm down."

Drew looked at his dad and said, "Oh yeah?"

Sean nodded, "It's a breathing exercise I do whenever I feel like I'm overwhelmed or nervous." Drew looked skeptical, but Sean said, "I promise it helps."

Drew smiled and said, "Okay."

Sean showed Drew what to do, and after a few minutes, Drew smiled. Sean asked, "Do you feel better?"

"Much better. Thanks, dad."

"You're welcome." Sean held out his arms and asked, "Now now do I look? Good enough to meet your friends?" Sean was wearing a navy sweater and jeans.

Drew laughed and said, "Yes. I can't wait for them to see you."

"When they see me, they'll know what you will look like at 30. Well, what you'd look like at 30 if you got into a fight with a file cabinet." Sean looked at his bruises in the mirror, then said, "Only you'll be way taller than me, hopefully."

Drew said, "Hey, at least you're not Mr. Del Rossi short."

Sean laughed and walked over to Drew's door. "Come on. Your friends will be here soon."

"I'll be right down."

"Okay." Sean walked out of Drew's room and down the stairs. He walked toward Emma and said, "Wow, that cake smells amazing."

Emma smiled and asked, "Is he okay?"

"He was a little nervous, so I showed him how I calm myself down. He should be down in a minute."

The doorbell rang.

Sean asked, "Should I answer it?"

Emma walked over to him, "Let me answer just in case it's one of his friends. They may faint at the sight of you."

"Very funny."

Emma opened the front door and smiled, "Well, hello there." It was Jay and Manny. "Come on in."

"Hey!" Sean walked over to them and hugged Manny then shook Jay's hand. "Did you have a nice night?"

They both blushed.

Emma closed the door. "I think that means yes."

Drew came down the stairs, "Hey!"

Manny said, "Hey, kiddo!" She handed him a bag, "This is for you."

"You didn't have to get me anything. Being here for my party is enough."

Jay put his hand on Drew's shoulder and said, "You are a big reason why we're engaged right now, so we probably should have gotten you a bigger present."

Drew smiled, "Thank you."

Emma said, "Well, come on in, sit down. Would you like something to drink?"

Jay said, "A beer."

Sean said, "You got it."

Manny walked into the kitchen with Emma, "The house smells amazing."

"Drew's favorite cake is funfetti cake, so I made him one." Emma smiled at Manny and asked, "So just how nice of a night did you have?" Manny held up her hand, and Emma grabbed it. "Oh, my God!"

Manny smiled, "We bought it yesterday."

Sean whistled and said, "That's a nice ring." He walked over to Jay with his beer.

Emma let go of Manny's hand, "It's beautiful."

"It's just a placeholder ring. It's, so people know I'm engaged, but we're going to design something nice."

"Wow, that's one hell of a placeholder ring." Emma smiled and asked, "So is he going to L.A. with you?"

"Not right away, but eventually, yes."

"I'm so happy for you."

Manny smiled and said, "You're next."

Emma looked into the living room at Sean and said, "We'll see."

Sean sat across from Jay and next to Drew. "So when are you moving to L.A.?"

"In a month or so."

Sean shook his head, "Man, I finally got you to work for me, and now you're leaving?"

"Sorry, buddy, but I'm in love." Sean smiled. "And speaking of that, when will it be your turn?"

Sean looked over at Emma and said, "Soon."

"How soon?"

He smiled and said, "Very soon."

Drew smiled and asked, "Can I help you, dad?"

"You would want to help?"

He nodded, "Yes. I want to go with you when you look for the ring."

Sean smiled, and pat Drew on the back, "I would love that."

"Cool." The doorbell rang again, and Drew stood up, "It's my party, I might as well make myself useful." He walked over to the door and opened it. It was Oliver, "Hey, come on in."

"Thanks!" Oliver walked in and looked around, "Happy Birthday, again."

Drew laughed, "Yeah, thanks."

"Here." Oliver handed Drew a gift bag. Drew peeked inside and could see it was a video game cartridge.

"You can finally meet my dad." Drew walked Oliver into the living room, and Sean stood up to greet him, "Oliver, this is my dad, Sean Cameron."

Oliver looked at Sean and said, "You're the one who saved Drew's mom's life all those years ago."

Sean nodded and said, "Yep. That's me."

"Wow," Oliver extended his hand, "It's an honor to meet you, sir."

Sean smiled and said, "It's nice to meet you too, Oliver, but you don't have to call me, sir. Sean is fine."

Oliver looked at Drew and looked at Sean, "I really can't believe how much you two look alike."

Jay chimed in and said, "Genes are a hell of a thing. I'm Jay."

"Hi."

Drew said, "Jay's going to be my uncle soon."

Jay smiled and shook Oliver's hand.

Emma walked over and said, "Oliver! It's so good to see you."

"Hi, Miss Nelson."

"Would you like something to drink?"

Drew asked, "Yeah, what do you want?"

Oliver shrugged, "Do you have any pop?"

Drew said, "Yep. Come with me."

The boys walked into the kitchen, and both Emma and Sean watched them. Manny noticed how closely they were watching Drew and Oliver and asked, "Okay, what's going on?"

Emma said, "Nothing."

Manny nodded and said, "Uh-huh."

The doorbell rang again, and Emma said, "I'll get it!"

This time it was Drew's friends Ethan and Madison.

"Hi! Come on inside. Drew and Oliver are in the kitchen."

* * *

Once all the kids arrived, Emma walked Sean over to the kitchen and said, "Ethan, Jake, and Maddie, this is Sean, Drew's father."

All three kids looked at Sean then looked at Drew. They all said hi, and Sean said hi back then Madison said, "Wow, Drew, you weren't lying about how much you look alike."

Drew smiled and said, "Mom, can we go downstairs?"

"Yep. When would you like to eat?"

Drew said, "I don't know. In an hour? I have a new game to play." He held up the present Oliver got him and smiled. "Oliver got this for me."

"That was very thoughtful, Oliver." Oliver looked embarrassed and Emma said, "I'll call the pizza place in half an hour or so. That'll give you an hour to play the new game."

"Perfect!" Drew smiled and said, "Thanks, mom."

The kids all walked downstairs, and Emma and Sean walked into the living room. Archie and Christine were running late, so it was just Jay, Manny, Emma, and Sean.

Manny looked at Emma, "So, what's going on?"

"Nothing."

"Because you're both acting weird."

Sean said, "It's nothing."

Manny narrowed her eyes at them, "Sure."

Emma looked at Manny and said, "We can't talk about it now. Let's just leave it at that."

Manny held up her hands, "Fine."

Emma asked, "So, did you have a nice night?"

Jay nodded and said, 'Yes. It was a very nice night."

"Good."

Sean looked at Jay and said, "I really can't believe you proposed in my hospital room."

Jay joked, "Neither can I, but I'm glad I did."

Manny rested her head on Jay's shoulder.

He asked Sean, "How are you feeling?"

"My stitches are itchy, but otherwise, I'm good."

Jay nodded, "Good. Please don't scare me like that again."

Sean smiled and said, "I won't. I promise."

* * *

As they were playing the game, Oliver looked at Drew and said, "Dude, I really cannot get over how much you look like your dad."

Drew kept his eyes on the T.V. screen and laughed, "Yeah, it was crazy when I first met him. I think he was also shocked by the resemblance."

Madison took a sip of her drink and said, "He seems cool."

Drew smiled and said, "He's really cool. He's a mechanic, and he owns an auto shop where they also mod cars and fix them up. He modded Kyle Lowry's car."

Ethan said, "No way, really?"

Drew nodded, "I met Lowry a couple of weeks ago. He got us courtside seats for the game, and we saw Drake too."

Madison nearly yelled her question, "Oh my God, did you meet him!?"

Drew shook his head, "Not yet."

Oliver turned to Drew and asked, "What do you mean, not yet?"

Drew shook his head and said, "Nothing. Forget I said anything." He then bashed the buttons on his controller for a few seconds and yelled, "Yes! I win!"

Oliver rolled his eyes and said, 'Best two out of three."

Madison stood up and asked, "Can I go upstairs and get another drink?"

Drew nodded without taking his eyes off the game on the screen.

She walked up the stairs and into the kitchen, "Miss Nelson, can I grab another drink?"

Emma turned around and said, "Of course, Maddie. Help yourself."

"Thanks."

Madison grabbed herself a drink, and Emma asked, "Oh, and can you tell Drew the pizza will be here in about 10 minutes?"

"Sure!" Madison walked back down to the basement and said, "Drew, the pizza will be here in 10 minutes."

He wouldn't tear himself away from the T.V. and just nodded.

* * *

When the pizza arrived, Emma grabbed some plates and napkins while Sean held one box. She said, "We might as well bring it downstairs. When Drew is into his games, it's hard to tear him away."

Sean smiled and followed her down the stairs.

"The pizza is here!"

Drew paused the game and stood up, "Thanks, mom."

"Thank your father. He paid for it."

"Thanks, dad."

"You're welcome, kiddo." Sean placed the box on the coffee table and looked around, "Do any of you need anything?"

Emma added, "Yeah if you need a drink, we can get it for you."

All the kids shook their heads, and they gathered around the pizza box.

"Okay, well, enjoy."

"Thanks, mom."

Jake said, "Yeah, thanks, Miss Nelson."

Sean and Emma walked up the stairs and sat at the dining table with Jay, Manny, Archie, and Christine.

* * *

After the adults finished their pizza, Manny and Jay told Archie and Christine the story of Jay's proposal.

Christine smiled, 'Well, it's about time."

Archie added, "Yeah, congratulations." He looked at Sean and Emma and asked, "So, are you two next?"

Sean grabbed Emma's hand and said, "Yes." Emma smiled, and Sean continued, "After what happened to me this week, we probably shouldn't waste any more time." He kissed Emma's hand and winked at her.

Jay said, "Well, if you need a good jeweler, we have one for you."

"Thanks, man."

Emma looked around and asked, "Is it almost time for cake?"

Sean nodded, "Yeah, let's get them up here. I can give Drew his present." Sean stood up and walked over to the basement door, "I'll do it." He skipped down the stairs and said, "Hey, kids, it's time for the cake."

Drew turned around and asked, "Oh no, are you going to embarrass me and sing Happy Birthday?"

Sean nodded and said, "Yes. Everyone gets embarrassed on their birthday. It's a tradition."

Drew groaned and said, "Okay, fine."

They all walked upstairs, and Sean had Drew and his friends sit at the dining table while the adults stood up. Emma walked out of the kitchen with the cake, and everyone started singing.

Drew looked around at everyone, and even though he was embarrassed about everyone singing the song to him, he was also happy to have his friends and family there for him. Especially his dad.

When they finished, Emma said, "Make a wish!"

Drew looked at his parents, then at Oliver and took a deep breath. He blew out the candles on one try. Everyone clapped, and Emma took the cake back into the kitchen. Sean joined her, and he wiped his face.

"Babe, are you okay?"

Sean nodded, "I'm happy." He looked toward Drew and said, "This was the first time I was able to sing Happy Birthday to my son."

Emma nodded and cut the cake. "I will make it up to you for the rest of our lives, I promise."

Sean smiled and kissed her cheek. "I know you will."

She handed him a slice of cake, "Can you give this to our son?"

"Yes." Sean smiled as he walked over to Drew, "Here you go, kiddo."

"Thanks!"

Emma cut a few more pieces and handed them out to the kids first, then Archie, Christine, Jay, and Manny took pieces for themselves.

Drew took a bite and said, "Mom, this is great."

Emma smiled and said, "Good, I'm glad."

Manny nodded and said, "Yeah, babe, this is so good."

"It has been a while since I've baked anything. I'm just glad it came out okay." Emma looked at everyone and said, "After we eat the cake, Drew can open his presents!"

Drew said, "I already opened most of them."

"You haven't opened mine or dad's."

Christine said, "Or ours!"

"Can we finish our game first? I'm about to beat Oliver for the third time in a row."

Oliver rolled his eyes and said, "You haven't won yet."

"I will." Drew asked, "So can we?"

Emma laughed and said, "Sure."

* * *

When the kids finished their cake, they went back down to the basement. Christine said, "It's good to see Drew hanging out with his friends."

Emma nodded, "I know." She put her arm around Sean's waist, "I think this one has something to do with it."

Sean said, "I don't know about that."

"It's true. Drew's behavior has changed so much since you've come into his life. He's doing better in school, and he wants to do things instead of staying home and moping." Emma leaned her head on Sean's shoulder, "You're the best thing that's happened to us."

Tears filled Sean's eyes, and he blinked them away. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Sean walked over to the couch and pulled out the frame to show Archie and Jay, "This is what I got, Drew."

Archie smiled and said, "That looks great."

Sean said, "We put it together last night."

Jay nodded, "I like the red border. He's going to love that."

Sean smiled.

Manny asked Emma, "And what did you get him?"

"Well, part of his present is the room downstairs, and I got him a gift card to IKEA so he can get all the furniture he wants."

Manny said, "That's great!"

Emma nodded, "Yep, he should love that. And Sean is going to help him pick out a paint color."

Jay smiled and said, "He's a lucky kid to have two great parents like you."

Sean smiled and said, "Thanks, man. Although now I feel like I didn't get him enough."

"Babe, you got him courtside seats, and locker room passes to a Raptors game."

"Well, technically, Kyle Lowry got him that."

Emma smiled at him and said, "Sean, that was probably the best night of his life up to this point, and it happened because of you." Sean nodded. "So, get those thoughts out of your head."

Sean nodded again and said, "Okay."

Oliver came up the stairs and saw the framed jersey, "Whoa! Is that one of Drew's presents?"

Sean nodded, "Yep. Do you think he'll like it?"

"Uh, yes, he's going to love that." He looked at Emma and said, "Can I have another drink?"

"Of course, sweetie. Help yourself."

Oliver walked over to the fridge and grabbed a can of pop. He walked back over to the basement door and said, "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"I just thought of something." Sean looked at Emma, "I can probably put all the furniture together."

Emma laughed, "You were going to do that anyway."

* * *

A little while later, all four kids came back upstairs, and Sean asked Drew, "So did you win?"

Drew nodded and smiled, "Yep!"

Oliver shook his head, "I think he cheats."

"I don't cheat. You just suck at that game."

Oliver rolled his eyes and said, "Oh, whatever."

Sean laughed at them and said, "Yeah, you're definitely best friends." Sean walked over to the framed jersey and said, "I finally finished this for you, kiddo."

Drew's eyes lit up, and he said, "Dad, it looks so good! Thank you!"

"You're welcome." Sean handed it to him, and Drew looked at it.

"I love the red border. I think I want some red in my room."

Emma said, "Well, this might help." She handed him the IKEA gift card, and he gasped when he saw the amount, "Mom, are you sure about this?"

"Of course! You wanted a more adult room, so we're giving you a more adult room."

Drew hugged Emma and then hugged Sean, "You guys are the best." When he pulled away, he asked, "Can I show everyone what I want to do with the room downstairs?"

"Sure."

"Cool, thanks!" He took the framed jersey and gift card and walked to the basement door. His friends followed him downstairs.

Sean grabbed Emma's hand and smiled, "You know, I was right."

Emma turned to him and asked, "Oh yeah? About what?"

"About today being another good day."

Emma kissed him and said, "I love you."

"I love you."


	30. Chapter 30

"What time is your flight tomorrow?"

"Early."

Emma hugged Manny tightly and said, "I am going to miss you so much."

"I'll only be a phone call away."

"I know, but I liked having you here."

"Speaking of being here," Manny looked at Sean and said, "I'm so glad you're here and that you two are finally together."

Sean smiled and hugged her, "So am I."

Manny pulled away and asked, "Where's my godson?"

Emma said, "He is downstairs."

"I'll be right back." Manny walked down to the basement. "Hey, kiddo."

"Hey, aunt Manny. Are you leaving?"

"Yep. My flight is early tomorrow."

Drew stood up and said, "Thank you for my present."

"You're welcome." She hugged him and said, "Thank you for mine." When she pulled away, she held up her hand and smiled.

Drew smiled and said, "I hope my parents will be next."

Manny nodded, "They will be, I promise." She walked over to the stairs and said, "Happy Birthday."

"Thanks."

"Bye, kiddo."

"Have a safe flight."

"Thanks." She blew a kiss at him and walked back upstairs. She looked at Sean and Emma and said, "I love that kid."

Sean smiled and said, "He is pretty great."

Jay nodded, "He is."

Emma said, "Thank you." She hugged Jay, "Congratulations again."

"Thanks." Sean and Jay hugged, and Jay said, "I'll call you tomorrow, boss man."

"Okay."

Emma and Manny hugged one more time.

"I love you."

"I love you too." Emma said, "Call me when you land."

"I will."

Jay and Manny left, and Emma hugged Sean.

"What's this for?"

"Nothing. I just love you a lot."

Sean pulled away and smiled, "Well, it's a good thing I love you just as much."

* * *

About an hour later, Sean and Emma were together on the couch watching T.V. Drew walked up from the basement and sat on the arm of the loveseat.

Emma asked, "So, did you enjoy your day?"

Drew nodded, "I did. It was a great day. Thank you again for everything."

"You're welcome, sweetie."

"Hey dad, can you come downstairs for a second?"

"Sure, is everything okay?"

"Yeah." Drew stood up, "Everything's fine. I just wanted to talk to you about paint color ideas for my new room."

Sean smiled and stood up, "Lead the way."

Drew walked over to the basement stairs, and Sean followed him. Before he went down, Sean winked at Emma. When Sean walked into the room, Drew was standing near the bed.

"So, where is this furniture going?"

"Up to your room, I believe."

Drew nodded, "Okay." He pointed at a chair in the corner. "Can I keep this?"

"I don't see why not?"

"Cool."

Sean asked, "So what were you thinking about with the color?"

Drew walked over to the dresser, which had his framed jersey on it and said, "I like the red in the frame, but I know that having red walls would be too much."

"Well, you could do one red wall. An accent wall, and you could put your bed against it."

"Really?"

"Yep. And we can mix it, so it's more of a dark red than a bright red. That would probably look better."

Drew smiled at his dad and said, "I'm really excited about this."

"I think it'll be great."

"Yep. When can we go to IKEA?"

"How about next weekend? We can go after I get off from work on Saturday."

"Cool." Drew looked at Sean and asked, "You don't think Oliver knows how I feel, do you?"

Sean shook his head, "I don't think so."

Drew sighed in relief, "Good because I don't want to ruin our friendship."

"So, you don't think he likes you back?"

Drew said, "I don't think so."

Sean nodded. "Well, I know he likes you as a friend."

"Yeah."

"This stuff is tricky. It was the same for me when I was your age. You're never quite sure if the person feels the same about you. I knew your mom had a thing for me, but I was still afraid she'd say no when I asked her out."

"How did you know?"

"I caught her looking at me a lot."

Drew said, "I try not to stare at Oliver so much. I don't want to make it obvious."

"How long have you guys been friends?"

"Since the first day of school last year. We went to different schools before we went to Degrassi."

"So, you hit it off right away."

Drew nodded, "Yep, and then we formed our group with Ethan, Jake, and Maddie."

Sean smiled, "I like Maddie. She seems cool."

"She is."

"And she doesn't mind being the only girl in the group?"

"Nah, as she says, she gets along better with guys than with girls."

Sean asked, "So you never found out who left the rose on your locker?"

Drew shook his head. "I thought it was this girl Olivia, but she's with some guy named Travis."

"Do you think it could be Oliver?"

Drew shook his head, "He was making fun of me about it."

"Maybe he was making fun of it to throw you off the trail, so to speak."

"I don't think it's him."

"Okay. I'll leave you alone."

Drew smiled and said, "This is probably the best birthday I've ever had."

"Oh yeah?"

He nodded and said, "Because you were here."

Sean smiled and said, "Can I hug you?" Drew walked over to him, and they hugged. "I love you, kiddo."

"I love you too."

Sean pulled away from the hug and said, "I'm gonna go back upstairs, but I just thought of something."

"What's that?"

"How about you come with me to work next weekend, and we can play around with color combinations on my computer software? We can design your room together."

"I would love that, dad!" Drew asked, "Will Drake's car be there?"

Sean smiled and said, "It's possible, yes."

"This is so cool. Thank you!"

"You're welcome."

* * *

Sean and Emma were watching T.V. again when Drew finally came up from the basement.

"I'm going to bed."

Emma looked at the cable box and back at Drew and said, "It's only 8 p.m."

"I know, but I'm kind of tired. It's been a long day."

"Okay."

He walked over to his parents and kissed Emma on the cheek and hugged Sean.

Sean said, "Goodnight, kiddo."

"Goodnight." Drew walked to the stairs, stepped onto the first one, and said, "Thanks again. For everything."

Emma smiled and said, "You're welcome."

Drew walked up the stairs, and Emma snuggled into Sean. "This was a fantastic day."

Sean kissed her hair and said, "It certainly was."

"Are you going to sleep downstairs tonight, or are you going to be upstairs with me?"

"I want to be upstairs with you."

Emma smiled, "Good because I want you there with me."

"Forever?"

Emma nodded, "Yes."

* * *

Sean was in Emma's bed, waiting for her to come out of the bathroom. He was sketching ideas for Drew's room on a note pad, but his pencil point broke. He reached over and opened Emma's nightstand drawer looking for a pen. When he saw what was in the drawer, Sean said, "Whoa." He reached in and grabbed a hot pink vibrator. "Um, Emma?"

"Yes?" She walked out, crossed her arms, and asked, "Were you snooping?"

"No, honest, I was looking for a pen. I didn't mean to snoop." He held it up and smiled.

"So, you found my goody drawer."

Sean raised an eyebrow, "Your goody drawer?"

She nodded and sat next to him. "Almost every single woman has a goody drawer."

"Yeah?"

"I wasn't dating, but I needed to have _some_ fun."

"Hey, I am perfectly fine with it." He looked at her and said, "In fact, I wouldn't mind incorporating this into our sex life."

"Oh, really?"

Sean nodded. "But only if you're okay with it."

Emma took it from him and said, "You think I'm loud now?"

Sean smiled.

"I have to be careful about using this."

Sean asked, "When did you use it last?"

Emma blushed, "A couple of weeks ago."

"Oh yeah?"

She nodded, "I was picturing you."

"And what were you picturing?"

Emma leaned toward him and said, "I was picturing you inside me."

Sean smiled, "That's pretty hot."

"You're pretty hot."

"Maybe you should have brought this to the hotel room."

Emma shrugged, "I don't know, I think the hotel room was pretty fun without it."

"That's true."

"Okay, let's put this away now." She put the vibrator back into the drawer and shut it. Sean grabbed her and pulled her on top of him. She smiled and said, "Hello."

"Hi."

They kissed, and when Sean pulled away, he said, "Today was probably one of the best days of my life."

"Really?"

He nodded and tucked a lock of hair behind Emma's ear, "Yes. I love you, and I love our son, and I'm so happy I was here today."

"We love you too."

He rubbed her shoulder and said, "I know you wanted to go to sleep, but…"

Emma smiled, "I'm getting my second wind."

"Oh yeah?"

Emma nodded.

"Lucky me."

* * *

A little while later, Sean was holding onto Emma. "We're going to sleep well tonight."

Emma smiled and kissed Sean's chest. "I sleep well every night when you're in bed with me."

"Oh yeah?"

She nodded and sat up. "Yes."

"I'm thinking about not following doctor's orders and going into work tomorrow."

Emma shook her head, "No, you're not. You are staying here and lying low."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. I want you to be 100% before you head back to work."

"Em, I feel fine, I swear."

"I know you probably think that way, but you've been on a high the past two days, and I just want you to be careful. Please?"

He smiled and nodded, "Okay. But can I at least call in and make sure everything is okay?"

"Yes. You can do that, but I want you here all day taking it easy."

"Okay."

"Okay." She kissed him, turned around, and shut off the light. "Now, let's go to sleep."

Sean wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her hair, "Yes, ma'am."

Emma giggled and said, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

* * *

The next morning, Emma woke up ahead of Sean and went straight into the shower. She had to drop off Drew at school and head over to the office. She had a couple of appointments booked and needed to print out some paperwork for the clients. Sean woke up while Emma was in the shower and decided to go downstairs and start breakfast.

When Emma walked out of the bathroom, she noticed that Sean was already out of bed, and she smelled breakfast. She smiled, got dressed, and got ready for work.

Sean smiled when he saw Emma walking toward him, "Good morning, beautiful."

"Why are you up so early?"

"Believe me; I slept way too much at the hospital."

Emma walked over and wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed his shoulder. "What are you making?"

"Just some eggs."

"That's thoughtful of you."

"I wanted to make myself useful."

Drew walked downstairs and greeted his parents. "Good morning."

"Hey, kiddo, would you like some eggs?"

"Sure." Drew sat at the island and looked at his parents. "You both look way too happy for a Monday morning."

Sean chuckled, "I'm just happy to be here with you both."

Drew asked, "Are you going into work today?"

"Nope. Doctor's orders. I am staying home today and tomorrow."

He nodded and looked at his mother, "You look nice, mom."

"Well, thank you, sweetie. I have a couple of appointments this morning." She sat next to Drew at the island and looked at Sean, "But my afternoon is free."

"Oh yeah?" Sean placed her eggs in front of her.

"Yep. I should be home by 1:30-2."

Sean smiled.

Drew joked, "I'm glad I'll be at school."

Sean winked at Emma, and she giggled.

* * *

Drew was at his locker when Maddie walked up to him.

"Hey there, Nelson."

"Hey."

"Did you finish _Lord of the Flies_?"

"I did."

"Wow," Maddie smiled, "We should write down the date, Drew Nelson finished a book on time."

"Very funny." He grabbed his binder and his copy of _Lord of the Flies_ and shut his locker. "So, did you have fun yesterday?"

Maddie nodded, "I did."

They walked together to Mr. Del Rossi's class.

"Your dad is cute."

Drew scrunched his face, "Really?"

"Um, yes?"

"So, does that mean you think I'm cute?"

Maddie blushed and said, "Maybe."

Drew laughed, "Really?"

"Why are you laughing?"

"Sorry. I just didn't realize you thought that way about me."

Maddie nodded. "I'm the one who left the rose on your locker."

Drew turned to her and was about to say something, but the bell rang.

Maddie said, "Crap!" and they both jogged to Mr. Del Rossi's class.

* * *

Drew couldn't concentrate during class and was hoping Mr. Del Rossi wouldn't call on him. He didn't. Drew could feel Maddie looking at him, and he felt terrible. Maddie was cute, but she was a girl, and he didn't feel the same way about her.

When class ended, Maddie walked over to him and asked, "You wanna go to lunch together?"

Drew nodded, "Sure."

"Great. I'll meet you in the caf."

Drew smiled, "Okay. Give me five minutes.'

Maddie nodded and left the room. Drew stood by his desk and shook his head.

Marco noticed Drew hanging around the classroom and asked, "Drew? Is everything okay?"

He nodded and walked over to Mr. Del Rossi. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure. What's up?"

Drew took a deep breath. "Someone likes me, and I don't feel the same way about them."

"Maddie?"

Drew rolled his eyes, "Is it that obvious?"

Marco smiled at Drew and said, "Yes, I notice her staring at you during class. Kind of like how your mom used to look at your dad."

Drew shook his head, "Great." He took a deep breath and said. "The problem is, I like someone else."

"Oh, well, that's never fun. Especially when you're friends."

"There's more to it."

"Oh?"

Drew nodded, "I can't like anyone like Maddie."

Marco looked at Drew and realized what he was trying to say, "Oh, I see." Marco smiled, "I was in the same boat when I was your age."

Drew nodded. "You had a husband, right?"

"Yes. I did."

"Sorry."

"It's okay." Marco asked, "Do your parents know?"

"I told them this weekend, and they were pretty great about it. They told me they were proud of me."

Marco put his hand on Drew's shoulder, "Your parents are good people."

"How did your parents react?"

"My mom was supportive, and she was worried for me. But my dad didn't want to believe it at first. I think deep down he knew."

Drew nodded. "I think my mom knew."

"I know how hard it is to come out, Drew. Some friends will be supportive, and others will be jerks. It's inevitable."

Drew asked, "Really?"

Marco nodded, "Yes. One of my friends was a real jerk about it, and it took a while for us to get our friendship back on track, but I am happy to say we're still friends today."

"That's good."

Marco nodded. "If you ever need to talk, I'm always here for you."

Drew nodded and said, "Now I have to tell Maddie I don't like her in _that_ way."

"Just try and let her down gently."

"I'll try." Drew walked toward the door, turned around, and said, "Thanks, Mr. Del Rossi."

Marco smiled at him and said, "You're welcome."

* * *

Emma walked into the house before noon, and Sean looked surprised.

"Why are you home so early?"

Emma walked over to him and held out her hand, "One couple had to cancel and reschedule our appointment for tomorrow."

"Oh, lucky me."

"Yes, so let's go upstairs and have our fun before the child comes home."

Sean shut off the T.V. and stood up, "We have a lot of time to have our fun."

"I know."

* * *

"Hey, sorry, I'm late."

Maddie smiled at Drew, "No problem. Although you just missed Olivia yelling at Travis."

"Oh, is that why she nearly ran me over in the hallway?" Drew sat down and opened his drink.

Maddie giggled, "Yes. Travis hooked up with Becca Archer at a party over the weekend."

Drew looked past Maddie at Travis and shook his head. "Travis is a jerk anyway. Olivia can do better."

"Do you like Olivia?"

Drew scoffed, "No. I don't like anyone."

Maddie looked disappointed, "Oh."

"I'm sorry, Maddie. I really am, but I like being just friends with you."

"That's fine. Maybe it's just a dumb crush that will go away by next week or something."

"I am flattered though."

Maddie rolled her eyes and said, "Whatever."

"Hey, guys!" Oliver walked over and sat next to Maddie, "Did I miss anything?"

Maddie filled him in on the drama with Travis and Olivia, and Oliver shook his head, "I always miss the good stuff!"

Drew snickered at Oliver and took a sip of his water.

"Nelson, man, I really can't believe how much you look like your dad."

Drew laughed, "Yeah, me neither."

"He seems like a cool guy, though. You're lucky. My dad's an asshole."

"Excuse me, Mr. Hilson?"

Oliver grimaced and turned around, "Um, sorry, Ms. Kwan."

She shook her head, "I'll let you off with a warning this time. But try to keep the language clean around here, okay?"

"Yes. Thank you. Sorry again."

Ms. Kwan walked away, and Drew said, "She's been torturing kids here since my parents were students. Same with Perino."

Oliver shook his head, "The last thing I needed was another detention."

"Yeah, I'm done with those. I promised my parents I'd be better at school."

Maddie quietly ate her lunch as Drew and Oliver discussed Drew's party.

"That guy Jay seemed cool too."

"He and my dad got into a fight, and that's how they became friends."

"Really?"

Drew nodded.

"They met here?"

"Yep."

Maddie said, "Only guys would become friends after a fight. Girls would never do that."

Oliver replied, "That's because girls hold grudges longer than guys."

Drew smiled but said nothing. He kept on eating.


	31. Chapter 31

Emma walked Sean to the staircase and said, "Stay here."

Sean puzzled yet intrigued, said, "Okay."

Emma took off her cardigan and left it on the railing. She walked up a few more stairs and took off her blouse and left it on the railing at the top of the second level.

Emma stripped her way up the stairs, leaving an article of clothing on the railing or the floor, depending on where she stripped. When she got down to her panties, she turned to Sean, who was following her slowly. Emma threw them at him like a slingshot, and he caught them with a smile. By the time they got up to Emma's room, she was naked.

"So, where do you want me, Mr. Cameron?"

Sean licked his lips and raised his eyebrow. "Lie back on the bed."

She obeyed his command, and he walked over to the bed. He took off his t-shirt and his pajama pants and asked, "Can we do something?"

Emma smiled and asked, "What did you want to do?" He looked at her goody drawer and smiled. Emma sat up, opened the drawer, and grabbed the vibrator. She closed the drawer and said, "Have at it." She handed it to Sean, and he smiled.

* * *

Maddie gathered her things and said, "I need to get to my locker before art class."

Oliver said, "Have fun."

"Yeah, loads." She rolled her eyes and looked at Drew, "See you in math."

Drew smiled and watched Maddie leave the cafeteria, then sighed.

"Okay, what's up with you two? You're both acting weird." Oliver smiled at Drew and said, "She likes you, doesn't she? She's the one who left the rose."

Drew didn't want to tell Oliver the truth because Oliver would probably tease him for the rest of the day, and Drew wasn't in the mood for that. "I still don't know who left the rose."

"It's been like a month!"

Drew shrugged.

"Anyway, do you want to come over today? We can start working on that project for Perino's class."

Drew's eyes widened, and he said, "Oh man, I forgot about that."

"You've had a lot of your mind lately. How is your dad, by the way?"

"He's great, but he's still not going to work because the doctor wants him to take it easy."

"Do you think he'll be afraid to be at work after what happened?"

Drew shrugged, "I think they're going to make sure that no one is ever left alone in the shop."

Oliver nodded, "That's a good idea." Then he said, "Okay, text your mom and ask if it's okay. You can come straight to my house after school."

Drew took out his phone and texted Emma, "Would it be okay for me to go to Oliver's after school? I forgot about a project we're doing for Perino's class." As Drew waited, he continued his conversation with Oliver. "So, what are we doing again?"

"We have to pick a historical figure to do a presentation on, and it has to be the 19th century. I was thinking about doing it on F.D.R."

Drew smiled and said, "He's from the 20th century."

"Oh, right." Oliver shook his head, and Drew had a grin on his face. He found Oliver's mistakes endearing.

* * *

Emma and Sean were lying on her bed, out of breath and sweaty.

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"Wow."

Sean chuckled and went up on his elbow. He looked down at Emma, "That was amazing."

"Sorry, I was so loud."

Sean scoffed, "Why are you apologizing for that? It was hot." He smiled and said, "I love that I can get you that crazy."

Emma giggled, "It's a good thing we were home alone."

"I think the neighbors may have heard you."

Emma grabbed Sean, pulled him on top of her, and they made out for a few moments. Sean had moved down to Emma's neck when her phone vibrated. Sean pulled away, and she said, "Ugh. Maybe it's work." She reached over to the nightstand to grab her phone. She smiled when she read the message. "Our son wants to go to Oliver's after school. They have a project to do for Perino's class."

Sean said, "Oh yeah?"

"Yep."

"So that means we'll have more time to have even more fun."

"Lucky us." Emma texted back and said, "Of course you can. Just let us know when you need to be picked up." She placed the phone on her nightstand, then turned, pushed Sean onto his back, and straddled him.

He rubbed her thighs and asked, "Ready for another round?"

"Yes, are you?"

He smiled and said, "Always."

* * *

Drew waited for Oliver by the front doors of the school. Archie noticed his grandson standing there and walked over.

"Are you waiting for mom?"

Drew shook his head, "Nope. I'm going to Oliver's to work on a project for Perino's class."

"Ah, I see. So did you have a nice time yesterday?"

"I did, and thanks again for the present."

"You're welcome, kiddo." He looked beyond Drew and noticed two kids getting in each other's faces. "Uh, oh, duty calls." Archie walked away from Drew and over to the two boys. As Drew watched, his grandpa diffused the situation. He was so engrossed in what was happening on the other side of the Degrassi lobby; he jumped when Oliver placed his hand on his shoulder.

Oliver asked, "Dude, are you okay?"

"Yeah, sorry. Guess I'm anxious or something."

"So, are you ready to go?"

Drew nodded, "Yep. All set."

"Cool."

Drew followed Oliver out of the school and cursed himself for being such a dork around Oliver.

"Still pining away for Nelson, huh Maddie?"

Maddie, who had seen Oliver and Drew's exchange from the media room doorway, turned to Ethan and scowled, "Leave me alone, Ethan."

"I really don't know how he didn't know you left him the rose. Your crush on him is so obvious, and Nelson is totally oblivious."

"He's not oblivious anymore."

"You told him?" Maddie nodded, and Ethan teased, "And he didn't say he loved you back?"

"Ethan, I swear to God..."

He held up his hands and said, "Fine, I'll stop." They walked towards the front doors, and Ethan asked, "So do you wanna go to the Dot? We can start our project for Perino's class."

Maddie shrugged and said, "Sure, but if you say anything else about Drew, you're getting a drink poured over your head."

* * *

Sean and Emma were relaxing in the bathtub when Sean asked, "Is it strange that I am nervous for Drew right now?"

Emma shook her head and said, "No. I am a little nervous for him too."

Sean massaged Emma's feet while they took a bath. He said, "I just don't want Oliver to hurt him."

"I know. I don't want that to happen either."

"But it's a real possibility." Emma nodded. Sean looked at her and said, "I just want the best for our son."

"Me too."

Sean smiled and said, "It's crazy to think about how much our lives have changed." He continued and said, "A month ago, I was alone and miserable, and I had no idea I was a father."

"And now?"

"And now? I have everything I've ever wanted."

Emma smiled and got out of the tub, "How about we go inside and have some more fun?"

"You don't have to ask me twice." Sean stood up, and Emma handed him a towel.

* * *

Drew and Oliver were in Oliver's room, drinking some White Claw and figuring out which person to write about for their project.

Drew looked at the computer screen and said, "How about James Naismith?"

Oliver asked, "Who's that?"

"He's the guy who invented basketball."

"Oh, cool!" Oliver typed Naismith's name, misspelled, into his computer.

Drew laughed and said, "No, it's spelled like this." He reached over and leaned against Oliver as he typed the correct spelling of Naismith's name. "You dork. How did you make it this far in school with your spelling ability?"

"Who knows?" Drew lingered a little too long, and Oliver joked, "Dude, you're right on top of me."

Drew sat back and apologized, "Sorry."

"You wanna sit on my lap next time?" Drew shook his head. "I'm just kidding."

"Oh, so you want me to sit on your lap next time?"

Oliver laughed, and Drew joined him.

After a few moments, Drew stopped laughing and said, "Anyway, we picked our person, so let's look up as much about him as possible. I want to get a good grade on this project."

Oliver turned to him and said, "Your dad is a good influence on you."

Drew shrugged and said, "I just want him to be proud of me." Oliver nodded, and Drew continued, "Plus, if I behave, he'll let me work in his shop again."

"That's so cool. You helped your dad fix a car?"

Drew smiled and nodded, "Yep. He taught me a few things. I also watched one of the guys work on Randal Grichuk's car."

"What kind of car was it?"

"It was a shiny black Jaguar. It was a two-door, and it has to be at least 100K."

"Nice!" Oliver asked, "Do you think your dad could get us good tickets to a Blue Jays game?"

Drew shrugged, "I don't know, but I can ask."

"Oh my God, that would be so cool."

Drew smiled and blushed as soon as Oliver turned back to his computer. There was a knock at the door, and Oliver's mom peeked in, "Drew, would you like to stay for dinner?"

"Oh, um..."

Oliver nodded at him, "Yeah, stay for dinner."

Drew looked at Oliver's mom and asked, "Are you sure it's alright?"

"I wouldn't have asked if it wasn't."

Drew smiled and said, "Okay."

"Great, just let your mom know."

Drew nodded and took out his phone. He texted, "Oliver's mom invited me to stay for dinner. Can I?"

As Drew waited for Emma's answer, he started typing some facts about James Naismith into his phone.

* * *

Sean and Emma were sitting on her bed together when Emma's phone vibrated. She reached for it and smiled, "Drew's been invited to eat dinner at Oliver's."

"That's nice."

Emma typed back, "Yes. You can stay over for dinner. Just let us know when you need to be picked up." She put her phone back on the nightstand and turned to Sean, "Today's been a lot of fun."

"Yes, it has."

"And you're okay, right?"

Sean nodded, "Yep. No headache, no dizziness."

"Good." She caressed his face, "I'm glad."

He smiled and kissed her. When Sean pulled away, he leaned his forehead on hers, "So I'm thinking that tomorrow, I could head over to my apartment and pick up more stuff for me to bring here."

Emma smiled, "I would love that."

"I just need to get my truck."

"That's no problem. I can drop you off at the shop in the morning to get it."

Sean kissed her and sat back against the headboard, "I want to be here all the time."

"Well, that's good because we want you here all the time." She cuddled up against him and asked, "Are you hungry?"

"I am famished."

"Want me to heat up some leftover pizza?"

"Sure. Let's do that. And then maybe we can have some ice cream and cake for dessert."

Emma's eyes lit up, "Ooh, yes. I want to be bad."

Sean smiled and said, "I'm sure we were both pretty bad earlier."

Emma giggled and kissed him. When she pulled away, she said, "I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

Drew was quietly eating his dinner with Oliver and his family when Oliver asked, "Hey mom, can Drew sleepover for my birthday?"

"Of course, he can!" Oliver's mom looked at Drew and asked, "Would your mom allow it?"

Drew nodded, "Yeah, I don't think it would be a problem."

Oliver smiled and said, "Cool."

Drew looked at Oliver and smiled. He was giddy on the inside. Even if Oliver didn't return his feelings, just being around him made Drew happy. And if that's all he could get, he'd be okay with it.

Oliver's mom said, "Drew, text your mom and let her know I can drop you off."

Drew asked, "You can?"

She nodded and said, "I forgot to pick up a prescription from the drug store, and I have a couple of other errands to run so I can bring you home."

"Great, thanks."

"You're welcome."

Drew took a bite of his food and looked up at Oliver, who was looking at him. Oliver quickly looked away and went back to eating his dinner.

* * *

"So I told Drew we could go to IKEA after work on Saturday."

"Is he going with you to work?"

Sean smiled, "He wants to see Drake's car."

Emma nodded, "Ah, I see." She smiled and said, "You really like having him there, don't you."

"I do. He's really into the work, and that makes me happy."

"Maybe you can have a father and son business when he's older."

"And maybe he can take over the business when I retire."

Emma smiled, "That would be amazing." Emma's phone buzzed again, "Oh, here he is. Oliver's mom is dropping him off." She laughed and said, "I'm glad. I didn't want to get dressed and go out."

Sean smiled.

Emma stood up and walked into the kitchen, "Manny never called me."

"I'm sure she's fine."

"I know." She put the dishes into the dishwasher and walked back over to Sean, "I cannot believe they're engaged."

Sean nodded, "It's about damn time."

"Tell me about it. They wasted so much time."

"Sounds familiar."

Emma sat on Sean's lap and wrapped her arms around him. "I have a question for you."

"Yes?"

"When we do get engaged, would you want a big wedding or a small wedding?"

"I will do whatever you want, Em."

She shrugged, "I don't know. Sometimes I wish we could have a huge wedding and then other times, I want it just to be you, me and Drew at the courthouse. We'd get married there and have a party somewhere for the rest of our family and friends."

"Either one sounds good to me. As long as the end result is us being husband and wife, that's all I really care about."

Emma smiled and kissed him. "You're the best."

"I try."

* * *

Sean was coming down the stairs when Drew opened the front door, "Hey, kiddo."

Drew walked into the house and put his backpack on the entryway floor. "Hi."

"How was your day?"

"It was okay."

"Just okay?" Drew rolled his eyes, and Sean laughed, "I'm just teasing you."

Emma walked in from the kitchen, "Hey, sweetie. Would you like some leftover cake and ice cream?"

"Yes! Thanks."

"You got it."

Sean and Drew walked over to the kitchen island, and Drew sat down.

"So, I found out who left the rose on my locker."

Emma's eyes lit up, "Who was it?"

"Maddie."

"Really? How did you find out?"

"She admitted it and admitted she likes me."

Sean looked at Drew and asked, "Did you let her down easy?"

"I tried to. After I talked to Mr. Del Rossi."

"Oh yeah?" Sean asked, "Is everything okay in class?"

Drew nodded, "Yeah. He just noticed that Maddie has a thing for me before I did, which is kind of embarrassing."

Emma said, "Well, sometimes, when you are interested in someone, you have no idea another person might be crushing on you. That happened to me."

"It did?"

She nodded, "I was crushing on your dad, and our friend Toby was crushing on me."

Sean smiled, "I remember that. He had it bad for you, and he was not happy about us getting together."

Emma shook her head, "He really wasn't."

"But Toby didn't stand a chance."

"Well, no. I liked you the first second I saw you."

Seam smiled and said, "And at that point, he came up to your nose."

Emma giggled, "Poor Toby."

Drew asked, "He's short?"

"He's Mr. Del Rossi short." Sean winked at Drew, and Drew laughed.

Emma placed the cake and ice cream in front of Drew.

"Thanks, mom."

"You're welcome."

"Oh, can I sleep over at Oliver's for his birthday?"

Sean and Emma shared a look, and Emma asked, "When's that?"

"In two weeks."

"I don't see why not."

"Cool, thanks."

Sean asked, "Is anyone else invited?"

Drew shrugged, "I don't know, but I'm assuming yes. Probably Ethan and Jake and possibly this guy Thomas from Oliver's music class."

Sean asked, "Oliver plays an instrument?"

"Yep. Guitar."

Sean nodded and said, "That's pretty cool. You don't have any interest in music?"

"Nah, I'm more into sports. I mean, I like listening to music, but I have no interest in playing an instrument."

"I see. Well, who do you listen to?"

"I like the new Harry Styles CD, but I can't tell any of my friends that. They'll just make fun of me."

Sean said, "I thought Sign of the Times was a good song."

Emma looked at Sean and asked, "You did?"

"Yeah, it sounded like an old school song from the '80s. Like something Tracker would listen to."

Drew said, "His first album was good too. Again, no one knows I feel that way."

Emma shook her head, "I'm sure guys like Harry Styles, Drew."

"It's mostly girls and gay guys, and I don't need people knowing I fall into the second category." He shook his head, "Not yet."

Emma asked, "Did you talk to Mr. Del Rossi about it?"

Drew nodded, "Yep. He told me a friend of his was homophobic at first and not supportive."

Emma nodded, "Ah, yes, Spinner."

Drew said, "I'm afraid I will lose my friends."

Sean put his arm on Drew's shoulder and said, "If they stop being friends with you because you're gay, it's their loss. You being gay doesn't change anything about how you treat your friends, and if they're not supportive, again, it's their loss."

Drew shrugged, "I know, but I'm still afraid."

"I know, kiddo." Sean rubbed Drew's shoulder, "I know."

Drew put his head in his hands and said, "Why couldn't I be straight? Life would be so much easier. I could like Maddie or something."

Emma looked at Sean then looked at Drew, "Sweetie, don't say that. You're perfect the way you are."

Drew lifted his head and took a bite of his cake, but didn't say anything.

Emma said, "Well, we have some good news to share with you."

"Good. Please, take my mind off this."

Sean smiled and said, "I'm going to my apartment to pick up the rest of my stuff tomorrow so I can officially move in here."

"Dad, that's great news!"

Sean nodded, "I know." He looked at Emma and said, "I'm going to find out if I can sublet it to someone until my lease is up. I'll keep all the furniture there and just bring the essentials."

"Good idea."

"I'm really excited about this, dad. You'll move in, and you'll ask mom to marry you, and then we can finally be a family."

"We already are a family, buddy."

"I know, but I want you two to be married."

Sean smiled.

"And then I can change my name."

Emma asked, "What would you change it to?"

"I figured I could switch my middle name and last name, so I'm Andrew Nelson Cameron."

Sean turned to Drew and asked, "You would do that?"

"Of course, I would. We all should have the same last name."

Sean wiped his eyes and smiled, "You just made my life, kiddo."


	32. Chapter 32

Later that night, Emma and Sean were getting ready for bed when Sean said, "I can't believe Drew wants to change his name."

Emma looked at him through the mirror and asked, "Why not? He loves you."

"I know, but he's gone his whole life as Andrew Nelson."

Emma smiled and said, "I've gone my whole life as Emma Nelson, and I have no problems changing my name."

Sean turned to her and asked, "Are you sure? You don't want to hyphenate it or something?"

She shook her head, "No, I want to be Emma Cameron."

Sean kissed her, then pulled away, smiling, "I love the sound of that."

"Me too."

He leaned his forehead against hers and said, "I still have to get you a ring and propose and all that jazz."

"You don't have to. We could just get married."

Sean pulled away and asked, "You don't want to be engaged?"

"No, I do."

"Well, so do I."

Emma smiled, "Okay, then."

"I just want to do everything the right way." Sean nodded and wrapped his arms around Emma, "I want to buy you a ring, surprise you as much as I can with a proposal, and be engaged. Just for a little while." Emma smiled, and he said, "I like the idea of you wearing a ring for real and not just as a deterrent."

She traced her finger along his collarbone and asked, "Will you wear a ring once we're married?"

"Yes. I want everyone to know I'm married."

Emma smiled and said, "All those ladies who bring in their cars into the shop and flirt with you?"

Sean laughed and kissed her. "I really can't wait to be your husband."

"And I can't wait to be your wife."

* * *

Drew stared at his ceiling, wide awake. He grabbed his phone and sighed. It was nearly midnight. As he lay there, his phone buzzed. It was from Oliver.

"Are you still up?"

Drew sat up and looked at his phone in disbelief. Oliver never texted him late at night. Drew typed back, "Yes, I can't sleep."

As he waited for Oliver to text back, he smiled at his phone. He was feeling giddy. He had never felt like this over anyone before. Oliver wrote back, "Me too. Are your parents asleep? Maybe you could sneak downstairs and play Fortnite with me."

Drew got up out of bed, tiptoed down the hall and looked up the stairs. The light was off, but that didn't mean his parents were asleep. He went back into his room and texted back, "Their light is off, but I'm not sure if they're asleep." He sent the text then immediately sent another one, "It will be so much easier when I move downstairs."

He sat back down on his bed and waited for Oliver's reply. A few moments later, his phone buzzed, "It's going to rule when you have that room downstairs. I'll be over all the time."

Drew smiled and typed back, "Yeah. It'll be fun."

They texted for a few more minutes, and Drew became tired.

"I'm getting sleepy now."

Oliver texted back, "Sorry for boring you."

Drew laughed, then covered his mouth because he was a bit too loud. Then he typed back, "Ha. So see you tomorrow?"

Oliver wrote back, "Yep. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Drew put his phone down, snuggled under his blanket and closed his eyes with a big grin on his face.

* * *

The next morning, Drew walked into the kitchen smiling, and his parents were a little unsettled by his mood change.

Sean said, "Someone is in a good mood."

Drew nodded, "Yeah. Guess I had a good night of sleep."

Emma looked at Sean then at Drew and said, "Uh-huh."

"Maybe I'm happy about dad moving in?"

Sean smiled, "Well, I'm happy about it."

Emma laughed. "I am driving your dad to the shop first, then dropping you off at school."

"That's fine."

"Here." She handed him some eggs. "So, how does your day look?"

"No tests. Thank goodness. We finished _Lord of the Flies,_ so I think that test will be on Friday."

Sean asked, "And the project with Oliver?"

"Due next week."

Sean nodded, "I was always thankful when they paired me with smarter people for projects like that."

Emma laughed, "Like Liberty?"

"I'll have you know that I did a lot for that project because it was about cars."

"Is that when she got together with Towerz?"

Sean nodded, "Yep. He had a smart girl thing."

"They actually went out for a little while."

"I know. That was an amusing pairing to me."

"Not as amusing as me and Chris Sharpe, right?"

"Ugh, I hated that guy."

"You did?"

Sean nodded.

Drew asked, "Towerz? Why did everyone you know have a cool nickname?"

Sean shrugged, "I don't know. Towerz was an interesting guy. Hardly spoke."

Drew asked, "Really?"

"Oh yeah, some people thought he might be mute, but he wasn't."

Drew looked at his mom and said, "We saw Liberty the night we went to the Raptors game, right? She joked about being invited to your wedding."

Emma nodded, "Yep."

"So, are you going to invite her?"

Sean said, "Probably."

* * *

When Drew got to school, he walked straight to his locker. Maddie's locker was only a few away from his and Drew noticed that she was avoiding him. She didn't say 'Hi' or 'Good morning,' and she was about to walk away when Drew called her name, "Maddie!"

She stopped, turned around, and said, "I need to get to homeroom."

He asked, "Can we talk later? Maybe at lunch?"

Maddie took a deep breath and said, "Sure."

Drew smiled, "Cool. See you in English."

"Okay." She turned back around and walked away.

Drew took a deep breath and got his stuff together.

"Yo, Nelson, I heard you let Maddie down easy yesterday."

Drew turned to Ethan and said, "Did you know she liked me?"

"_Everyone_ knew she liked you. Well, okay, _you_ didn't." Drew rolled his eyes and shut his locker, "So who do you like? Is it Olivia? Riley?" Ethan closed his locker, "Ooh, you like Emily, right? She's hot." Drew shook his head, and Ethan said, "Or maybe you like boys instead?"

Drew's heart skipped a beat, and he felt hot. He hoped his face didn't match his body temperature, "You're crazy."

"I was kidding."

Drew rolled his eyes, "Yeah, real funny."

"What? Like it's a big deal? It's 2020, who cares. Love is love."

Drew looked at Ethan and asked, "Do you really feel that way?"

Ethan nodded and said, "Sure! My oldest brother is gay, and his partner is cool. They got me this jacket for my birthday."

Drew looked at Ethan and nodded, "That _is_ a pretty cool jacket." The first bell rang, and Drew said, "Crap. I gotta go."

Ethan jogged in the opposite direction and said, "Okay, see you in Perino's class!"

Drew rushed to his homeroom and got there just before the final bell rang.

* * *

Sean looked around his apartment and smiled. As much as he liked the place, he was happy to be moving into Emma's house to be with her and Drew. He packed a couple of boxes and filled two suitcases with clothes, then loaded his truck, and he drove back to the house.

When Sean finished bringing everything in, he flopped back onto the couch. He couldn't decide if he wanted to watch T.V. or not, so he took out his phone and called the shop.

"Cameron's Custom Cars."

"Pete?"

"Hey man, how are you?"

"I'm better. I will be back tomorrow. I'm just following doctor's orders."

"Well, it's a good thing you'll be back tomorrow because Drake is coming in after-hours tomorrow."

Sean's eyes lit up, "No shit."

"Yep."

He smiled and said, "I'm excited about this."

Pete asked, "How are you feeling?"

"I feel about 90%. I should be fine when I come in tomorrow. I'm still a little bruised, though."

"We can tell Drake you were in a fight or something. Up your street cred a bit."

Sean laughed and said, "Hilarious. Everything else is okay?"

"Yep. Everything is great. There's a steady number of jobs coming in and out, and the guys miss you."

"I miss you guys too."

They talked for a bit, and then Sean let Pete go.

"So I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning."

"Okay, bossman."

Sean laughed and said, "Bye."

Sean ended the call and stood up. It was still early, and he was bored, so he took a drive.

* * *

Drew walked into Perino's class, and Ethan nodded in his direction. Drew sat at his desk and waited for Oliver to walk in. He didn't. He turned to Ethan and asked, "Have you seen Oliver?"

Ethan shook his head, "He wasn't in homeroom."

Drew rolled his eyes, "Great."

Mr. Perino waited for the bell to ring, and he said, "So today, you and your partner are going to come to me and tell me who your project is on and show me what you have so far. If your partner is absent, you can come up alone." Mr. Perino started doing the roll, and Drew looked at the door. He was hoping that maybe Oliver was late.

He wasn't.

Halfway through class, Mr. Perino called Drew's name. "Mr. Nelson, it looks like you're alone today."

Drew nodded, stood up, and walked over to Perino's desk.

"So, who are you and Oliver doing your project on?"

"James Naismith."

Perino nodded, "Good choice. And did you gather some information on him?"

"Well, Oliver has most of it, but," Drew took his phone out of his pocket and showed Perino everything he had saved. "I saved some stuff on my phone."

"Okay, that works. I just hope your partner doesn't leave you high and dry this week."

"Yeah, neither do I."

* * *

Sean wasn't expecting to drive up to Wasaga Beach, but it was as if his truck couldn't help going in that direction. He pulled up to his parents' house and parked. Sean got out of his truck, took a deep breath, and walked up to the front door. After he knocked, he heard his mom yell for his dad to answer the door.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I got it." Sean's father opened the door and looked surprised to see Sean standing in front of him. "Shouldn't you be at work?"

"Long story, can I come in?"

"Of course!" Sean's dad opened the door and let him in, "Hey Nancy, look who's here!"

His mom walked out of the kitchen and yelled, "Seany!"

"Hi, mom."

"Come here." She looked at his face, "What happened? And why aren't you at work?"

"As I told dad, it's a long story, so can we sit, and I can tell you everything?"

"Of course. Do you want anything to eat or drink? Coffee? Tea?"

"Coffee would be great. Thanks."

After his mom gave him a mug of coffee, they all sat down in the living room. His dad, "So, what's going on?"

"Well…" Sean told his parents the entire story. He told them about Emma, about Drew, about how he's moving in with them, and he told them about the robbery.

His mother shook her head, "Seany, you were lucky you weren't killed."

"I know." He looked at his parents and asked, "So how do you feel about getting to know your fourth grandchild?"

His mom said, "I would love that."

"Good. I'll arrange something. Maybe we can come up here, and I can take you all out to dinner."

Sean's dad smiled and said, "I'm excited to have a grandson. I just wish I would have gotten to know him sooner."

"Just wait until you see him. It's me at 14. It's uncanny."

His dad asked, "Does he have the same attitude?"

"Emma said he did before he knew me. But he's turning things around at school, and I brought him to the shop a couple of weeks ago. He was very interested in my work. I even had him do some things."

"So, the shop is good?"

Sean nodded, "Yep. Never better." He reached into his pocket and grabbed a check, "In fact, this is for you." He handed the check to his dad.

His dad looked at it and said, "We can't take this."

Sean said, "Yes, you can. Use it for a trip to Calgary to see Tracker and the girls or use it for whatever you want."

"Thank you, kiddo."

"You're welcome."

* * *

Marco De Rossi stood up as soon as the bell rang for class, looked at his door to see if any stragglers were on their way into the room and when a few moments passed, he shut his classroom door.

"I know you're all wondering when I'm going to spring the Lord of the Flies test on you. It'll be Friday." The kids groaned, and he chuckled, "Hey, at least I'm giving you a few days to prepare for it, and we'll have a review on Thursday so you will be well-equipped to take the test and to pass it."

Drew wrote down the days in his notebook and looked over at Maddie, who was staring at her desk. He felt terrible about how he handled things with her, which is why he asked her to sit at lunch with him. Drew was also thinking about what Ethan said and was wondering if maybe he could tell Ethan how he felt about Oliver. Then he remembered what Ethan did to their friend Jake when Jake said he liked a girl in their science class. Ethan didn't leave him alone and revealed how Jake felt to the girl before Jake could, and the girl rejected Jake through Ethan.

It wasn't a fun time for any of their friends because Jake refused to speak to Ethan for a few weeks. Drew went back to square one and tried to think of someone he could talk to about this who wasn't his parents or Mr. Del Rossi.

"Drew?"

Drew looked up from his notebook, and Mr. Del Rossi was looking at him. "Huh?"

Marco shook his head and said, "Never mind. Does anyone else want to answer the question?"

Drew felt his face get red, and he sat back in his chair.

* * *

"Well, I'd better get going. I'm supposed to be taking it easy." Sean stood up and smiled at his parents, "This was nice."

Sean's mom hugged him, "I'm just glad you're okay."

"Thanks." He pulled away and stuck out his hand for his dad to shake, but his father pulled him in for a hug instead.

"You're a good kid, Sean, and I'm proud of the man you've become."

Sean's eyes filled with tears, and as he pulled away from the hug, he sniffled, "Thanks, dad."

Sean's parents walked him to the door, and they said their goodbyes.

"I'll let you know when we can make it up here for dinner, okay?"

They both nodded, and his dad said, "Safe trip home."

Sean smiled as he got into his truck. As he pulled away from his parents' house, he let the tears fall from his eyes.

* * *

After Perino's class, Drew texted Oliver to see if he was okay. He put his phone in his pocket and went to his locker. Maddie was at hers and said, "So are we still on for lunch?"

Drew smiled and said, "Yep. Are you ready?"

She nodded, and they walked together down the hall toward the caf.

He asked, "So would you want to study for Lord of the Flies together?"

"Sure."

"You can come to my house if you want to."

Maddie nodded, "Okay."

"My mom can drive us."

"How's your dad?"

"Good. He's still home from work, but he's going back tomorrow."

Maddie looked at Drew and said, "I can't believe how much you look like him."

Drew smiled. Suddenly Ethan appeared and said, "Hey, are you heading to the caf?"

Drew and Maddie nodded.

"Cool, I'll meet you there. I just have to drop this off in my locker." He held up a book and walked past them.

When Maddie and Drew got to the caf, they waited in line for food and didn't talk to each other. It was awkward, and Drew hated it. He wanted to tell Maddie the truth but was afraid of her reaction. He would wait until Thursday at his house so they'd be alone and not in the middle of the school.

Maddie broke the silence when she spotted the lunch special, "My God that looks disgusting."

Drew laughed, "Yeah, I'm just getting a sandwich."

She laughed and said, "Same." Then she shivered and said, "Ick."

Drew's phone vibrated, and he looked at it.

Maddie looked around, "Is Oliver here today?"

"Nope, this is him. He said he woke up with a fever." Drew texted back, "Bummer. I hope you feel better."

Maddie scoffed and said, "Oh, great. I hope he didn't get us all sick."

"I was at his house last night." He shook his head and said, I'll probably get sick in time for the weekend. Great."

"What's happening this weekend?"

"I am going into work with my dad, and then we were going to IKEA so I can buy new furniture for my room."

Maddie nodded, "You're so lucky. Your basement is so cool."

"I know. I can't believe my parents are letting me have it."

"I wish my parents were like yours."

Drew smiled at Maddie and grabbed a sandwich. After they paid for their food, they found a spot to sit and waited for Ethan.

She said, "Look, I'm really embarrassed about everything, so can we forget it ever happened?"

Drew looked at Maddie and said, "I feel like an idiot for not realizing it."

"Do you like someone else?"

Drew couldn't lie to her. He nodded.

She nodded and said, "I figured. Who is it?"

"I don't want to say because I don't think they feel the same way."

"So, we're both pathetic."

Drew laughed, "You're not pathetic, Maddie. Don't say that."

She smiled, and they waited for Ethan to arrive.

* * *

"Babe? Are you home?" Emma walked in and looked around. Sean wasn't there. She grabbed her phone was about to text him when he walked in. "Oh, hey, there you are."

"Hey," He walked up to her and kissed her hello. "Why are you home so early?"

"I had time between two of my appointments and wanted to see how you were doing. You seem to be doing well."

"I went to see my parents."

"Really?" Sean nodded, and she asked, "How did that go?"

"It went well. They want to meet Drew."

"So, do they hate me?"

Sean shook his head, "No, not at all. My dad's pretty excited about having a grandson. I told them we'd go up there and take them out to dinner soon."

Emma nodded, "That sounds nice."

"Yeah, I think it will be. My relationship with them is a lot better than it was when I was younger."

Emma smiled.

"I have some news."

Emma raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"

"Drake's coming into the shop tomorrow night."

"Oh, my God!" Emma grabbed Sean and hugged him, "This is amazing!"

Sean laughed, "Yeah, I know."

Emma pulled away from the hug and said, "Are you nervous?"

"Not yet. That'll happen tomorrow afternoon." He smiled and asked, "So, where is your appointment?"

"Downtown. Front Street East. It's a two-bedroom duplex, and it's $2.725 million."

Sean whistled. "Wow. Nice."

"Yeah, it is. Very nice. It also has outdoor space on both levels with an unobstructed view of the C.N. Tower."

"Must be nice to afford something like that."

Emma smiled, then grimaced.

"What's wrong?"

"I'll be right back." Emma climbed the stairs and went up to her bathroom. Her period finally arrived. On the one hand, she was relieved, but there was a small part of her that hoped she was pregnant with Sean's baby again.

Sean sat down on the couch and turned on the T.V. Emma came down five minutes later, and he asked, "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. My period finally arrived."

"Ooh, that's not fun."

She laughed and said, "No. It's never fun. And now I'll be craving bad things like potato chips and ice cream for the next five days."

"Well, we still have ice cream, and I can always go out and get potato chips for you." Sean stood up and shut off the T.V., "In fact, I'll go shopping right now."

Emma shook her head and said, "You don't have to do that."

"I want to do it. Write down a list of what we need, and I'll get it. I live here now, remember?"

Emma wrapped her arms around his neck and said, "You're the best."

Sean kissed her, pulled away, smiling, and said, "I know."


	33. Chapter 33

Sean walked through the market, picking out things for Emma and the household. It made Sean happy to be shopping for Emma and Drew, and he walked around the store with a grin on his face. As he reached for a loaf of bread, he heard someone call his name.

"Sean?"

Sean looked up, and about 10 feet away stood Spinner Mason. He smiled and said, "Spinner! Hey, man, how are you?"

"I'm good!" Spinner walked over, they hugged, and Spinner asked, "What's going on with you?"

"Just doing some shopping."

Spinner peeked into the cart which Sean filled with potato chips and other assorted snacks, and said, "Real healthy, Cameron."

Sean laughed, "It's not for me; it's for Emma."

Spinner raised an eyebrow, "Oh, are you and Emma finally together?"

Sean nodded, "Yep. Me, Emma, and our son Drew."

Spinner nodded, "Yeah, I saw Drew last year when they came into the Dot, and I didn't say anything, because Emma gave me a death glare, but I knew he was yours."

"It's uncanny, huh?"

"It was like being transported back to Degrassi." Spinner looked in the cart again and asked, "Is Emma pregnant?"

"God, no!" Sean chuckled, "I would love that, but no. Not yet."

"So, everything's okay?"

Sean nodded, "Yep."

"Are you taking a break from work?"

Sean shook his head, "I'm not at work because someone robbed the shop last week, and he pistol-whipped me."

"Holy shit!" Sean turned and showed Spinner his wound. Spinner sucked in a breath and said, "Ooh, man..."

Sean turned back around and said, "Yeah, I also bashed my face into the file cabinet as I fell, which is why my face looks like this. It wasn't much of a fight." Spinner shook his head, and Sean said, "I was in the hospital for a couple of days."

"Jesus. That's scary. Did they catch the person who did it?"

"Yes, thank goodness. I've been taking it easy per doctor's orders, but I'm allowed to go back in tomorrow and boy, am I glad. I'm so bored."

Spinner laughed.

"So, what are you doing here? I mean, I know why you're here, but shouldn't you be at The Dot?"

"I needed some stuff for home and figured I'd do it now. I have someone taking care of things while I'm out."

Sean smiled at Spinner and said, "Look at us all grown up and responsible."

Spinner laughed, "I know it's weird, right? So, back to you and Emma, are you guys going to make it official?"

Sean nodded, "Yes. I just need to go out and get a ring. Manny showed me something she thought was—" Sean stopped himself, then said, "Wait! Did you hear about Manny and Jay?"

Spinner shook his head.

"Jay proposed to her in my hospital room."

"Are you serious?"

Sean nodded, "Yep. He will be moving out to L.A. within the next month."

"Wow! That's incredible." Spinner smiled and asked, "Did he get down on my one knee?"

Sean laughed and nodded, "He did, yeah."

"Good for them. It's about time. And it's about time for you and Emma."

They chatted for a few minutes, and then Spinner had to go back to the Dot.

"Cameron, don't be a stranger. Maybe you and Emma can come over one night and have dinner with my wife and me."

"That would be great."

They exchanged numbers, did the half-handshake, half-hug thing that guys do, and they parted ways.

* * *

Lunch was uneventful. After Maddie and Drew spoke, they were fine. It was as if everything was back to the way it was before Maddie's admission. Ethan was too busy looking at a wrestling magazine to talk to either Drew or Maddie, which relieved Drew. He was afraid he divulged too much to Ethan just by his reaction to the news of Ethan's brother being gay.

Drew walked to his locker with Maddie and got his books for the afternoon. He had a free study period before math class and planned on doing more research for his project with Oliver.

"Oh, I texted my mom about Thursday, and she said it's fine."

Drew nodded and said, "Cool. I want to do well on this test, and I know you can help me do that."

Maddie smiled, "You are turning things around. Last month you were always scowling, and you didn't care about school at all. And now you hardly ever scowl, and you actually care about school."

Drew shrugged and said, "I just want my dad to be proud of me."

"Well, he should be."

The first bell rang, and Maddie groaned, "Ugh, freedom is over. See you later?"

Drew nodded and smiled, "Yep." He watched as Maddie walked down the hall then shut his locker.

* * *

Sean put all the groceries away and brought his clothes up to the third floor. He didn't unpack because he wanted Emma to let him know where he could put his things. She had an extremely organized bedroom and closet, and Sean didn't want to disrupt the harmony. He left his suitcases near the closet and flopped onto the bed. He was asleep within moments.

* * *

Emma sat in her car, looking at emails while she waited for Drew to come out of Degrassi. Drew opened the door and smiled at his mom.

"Hey, kiddo. How was school?"

"Okay." He shut the door and put on his seatbelt. "I talked to Maddie, and everything's okay now."

"That's good!"

"Can she come over on Thursday? We're going to study for the Lord of the Flies test."

"Sure! She can even stay for dinner if she wants."

"Great, thanks." Emma pulled away from the curb and Drew said, "So Ethan was teasing me about Maddie, and he asked me if I liked anyone. I didn't say anything, and after he named a few girls, he joked that maybe I liked guys."

"Really?"

"Mom, my entire body felt hot. My heart stopped when he said that because I figured he was about to say something homophobic."

"But, he didn't?"

Drew shook his head, "No, he said, 'Love is love and something about it being 2020 and who cares,' then mentioned that his oldest brother is gay and that his partner is cool."

"You still didn't tell him?"

"Not yet. I think I'm going to confide in Maddie first."

"Ah, I see." Emma stopped at a red light and turned to Drew, "I really love you, kiddo, and I'm so proud of you."

Drew blushed and said, "Thanks, mom."

* * *

When Emma and Drew walked into the house, Emma called out Sean's name. He didn't answer. "Hmm, that's odd."

Drew looked at her and said, "Maybe he's sleeping?"

"Could you check downstairs for me?"

Drew nodded and walked over to the basement stairs. Emma waited for him, and he called up the stairs, "He's not here."

Emma climbed the stairs, and when she got to her room, she smiled at the sight of Sean curled up on her bed. She walked over and sat next to him. She caressed his face, and he smiled, "How long was I out?"

"I have no idea. We just got home."

He stretched and sat up, "I brought my clothes upstairs intending to unpack them, but then I realized you have a pretty tidy system up here, and I didn't want to disrupt that."

Emma laughed, "Don't be silly. This is your room now, too, so you can put your stuff wherever you want."

"Thanks. I would still like your help."

"Okay," She kissed him, then pulled away, "We can do it later." She stood up, and Sean swung his legs over the side of the bed.

"I got us a bunch of groceries, and I ran into Spinner."

"Oh yeah? How's he doing?"

"Well, he said he would love for us to go over to his place for dinner one night. We exchanged numbers."

"That could be fun."

Sean nodded, "Yeah, it was good to see him." He stood up and walked over to Emma, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. Tomorrow will be a bad day."

"I got you lots of chips and more ice cream."

She kissed him and said, "Again, you're the best."

"Spinner assumed you were pregnant again because of the stuff in my cart."

She laughed and said, "Oh yeah?"

He nodded, "I said no, she's not, but I wouldn't mind it if she were."

Emma smiled, "So I can admit that I was a little disappointed when my period started?"

"Of course you can."

"I realize we haven't been together long at all, but I do want to have another baby with you." Sean smiled and kissed her. When they pulled away, Emma said, "Come on, let's go downstairs and spend time with our son."

As they walked down the stairs, Sean noticed Drew was on the couch texting.

"Hey, buddy."

Drew looked up from his phone and said, "Hi! How are you feeling?"

"Almost 100%. And I have some news."

"Oh?"

"Drake will be in tomorrow night to have us look at his car."

Drew jumped up off the couch and screamed, "ARE YOU SERIOUS?"

Sean laughed at Drew's reaction. "Wow, I didn't know your voice could get that loud, Drew."

"Oh, man, I wish I could be there."

Sean nodded, "I know, but you can't. Sorry."

Drew pouted at his father, but he understood why he couldn't be there. "As long as you give me every detail."

"Deal."

Emma called from the kitchen, "Hey, boys, what would you like for dinner?"

Sean walked toward the island and said, "I got some pasta. All different types, so if you wanted to do that, you could."

"Did you get ziti?"

"I did."

"Great! Baked ziti it is!"

Drew grabbed his backpack, walked over to the dining table, and took out his books. Sean sat with him and asked, "How was school today?"

"Enlightening."

"Again?" Sean laughed recalling a couple of weeks prior when Drew printed out all the articles about Sean and the shooting.

Drew nodded, "Ethan told me that his oldest brother is gay."

"Really?"

"Yep. I didn't tell Ethan anything, but it was nice to know that if I did tell him, he'd probably be supportive."

Sean smiled at his son. "That's great."

"Yeah. Oliver wasn't in school. He had a fever. So I did most of the research for our project during my free period."

"Oh, well, I hope he's okay soon."

Drew scoffed, "I just hope I don't get sick."

Emma called out from the kitchen, "Take some vitamin C just in case!"

Drew asked, "Do we have some?"

"Hello? Who's your mom?" Emma laughed and walked it over to Drew with a glass of water. "Take two of these."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Drew looked at Sean and said, "It would bum me out if I were too sick to go to the shop this weekend."

Sean smiled, "I'm glad you like it there."

"I do! I enjoy watching you work."

Sean rubbed Drew's back and said, "Thanks, buddy. That means a lot."

"It's true. You're good at what you do."

Emma said, "He's right, you know. You wouldn't have your business if you weren't good."

"My two biggest fans." Sean wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Well, yeah." She leaned down and kissed his head. "Your wound is looking better."

"Oh yeah? Good."

Emma laughed and walked back into the kitchen. "I was thinking of just making a simple salad to go along with the ziti."

Sean stood up and walked over, "I can help you with that."

"Oh?"

"Sure." Sean looked around and said, "You know what else could be good? Garlic bread."

"That's easy enough to make."

"I can do that too."

"Fantastic. I think I'm going to like having you here all the time."

Sean smiled and kissed her cheek.

* * *

While Sean, Emma, and Drew were eating dinner, Emma's phone rang.

"That could be work." She stood up and walked over to her bag. She grabbed her phone, smiled, and answered it, "You were supposed to call me when you landed."

Manny smiled at her end and said, "I know. I'm sorry. I was exhausted, but I just wanted to let you know I'm alive and well."

Emma chuckled, "Well, that's good."

They chatted for a few moments before Manny said, "Shit. I thought I was going to have time to talk to you, but I need to call the director. He wanted to go over some things, and I lost track of time. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I get it. So, break a leg, and we all will cross our fingers for you."

"Thanks. Bye, babe."

Emma ended the call, "Manny is alive and well."

Sean smiled. "That's good."

"Maybe you and dad and Jay and Manny can have a double wedding."

Emma laughed, "I'm pretty sure they'll probably want to get married out there."

Drew shrugged and said, "Maybe they won't."

Sean grabbed Emma's hand and said, "Is it wrong that I want our wedding to be just about us?"

She shook her head and smiled, "No."

"Okay, good."

Drew asked, "Will I be there?"

Sean scoffed, "Of course you'll be there! I'll need a best man."

Drew's eyes lit up, "Really?"

"Who else would it be?"

"I figured it would be Jay."

Sean looked at Emma, then looked at Drew and said, "We want you to be a part of the wedding no matter what kind of wedding it is."

"So, you still don't know what size you want?"

Emma laughed, "My mind changes from day to day. Sometimes, I want a big wedding, in a church, with a white dress and all the bells and whistles. Other times, I just want to go to the courthouse with you and your father and just do it."

Drew asked, "How about you, dad?"

"I'll take either way as long as the result is your mom being my wife, I don't care how we do it." Sean looked at Drew and asked, "Are you sure you want to change your name?"

"Yes. All I'm doing is switching the names I already have. And people will just have to get used to calling me Cameron instead of Nelson."

Sean smiled, "Well, given how you look just like I did at your age—"

Drew joked, "Minus the Eminem hoodie, right?"

Emma laughed, and Sean shook his head, "That was nearly 20 years ago, and I will never live it down."

Emma said, "Nope."

"Oh! Speaking of not living something down." Sean stood up and said, "I will be right back."

Emma said, "Oh no, what are you getting?"

Sean made it to the stairs and smiled, "You'll see." He jogged upstairs.

A few minutes later, Sean came back downstairs and handed a picture to Drew.

"No way!" He looked at it, looked at his parents, and looked at it again.

Emma asked, "Which one is it?"

"The original."

She yelled, "No!" and tried to grab it out of Drew's hand, but he turned his body away from her. "Oh, my God. How embarrassing."

"This is amazing." Drew looked at it. "I cannot believe how much I look like you, dad." He turned to Emma and asked, "So that's what crimped hair is?"

Emma had her head in her hands. "I can't believe you still have that."

Sean smiled and said, "Of course, I do." He took out his wallet, opened it, and took out another picture. He handed it to Drew. "That was right before they sent me to Afghanistan."

Drew asked, "Was this before or after you guys made me?"

Emma smiled and said, "It was the morning after."

"Wow." Drew looked at both pictures, "I think it's great that you still have these pictures, dad."

Sean smiled, and Drew handed them back to him.

"Mom, your hair."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Emma looked at him and said, "Finish your dinner."

* * *

After dinner was over, Sean and Drew cleaned the dishes while Emma lounged on the couch. She looked at them and joked, "I could get used to this."

Sean said, "Well, it's only fair. You made us a nice meal, so we should wash the dishes."

"Thank you." She flipped through the channels until she found something to watch—a home improvement show.

Sean peeked into the living room and joked, "You and your home improvement shows."

"What can I say? They relax me."

When the guys finished the dishes, Drew went up to his room to complete his homework, and Sean joined Emma on the couch.

"So, are you excited about going back to work again?"

Sean nodded, "Yep. It'll be good to get back to normal."

"Are you nervous about your meeting with Drake?"

"A little, but I know I'm good at what I do."

Emma turned to him and smiled.

"What's that look for?"

"Can't I look at the man I love?"

"Well, yes, you can."

She kissed him, then pulled away, smiling, "I'm proud of you."

"Oh yeah?"

She nodded, "Yes. You accomplished what you set out to do when you were 18, and your business is a success." Sean smiled and kissed her. After a few moments, Emma pulled away and said, "I'm sad that I'm under the weather."

"So am I."

"I should be okay by Sunday. I hope."

Sean shook his head, "I really don't know how you deal with that."

"I often wonder how people dealt with it before they invented pads, tampons, and cups."

Sean grimaced and asked, "Cups?"

Emma smiled, "Yes, menstrual cups."

"You stick a cup in there?"

"Yes. It's amazing. I don't feel anything, and I can keep it in there for a while without worrying about it."

Sean shook his head and said, "I'm so glad I'm a guy."

"You should be. If men got their periods, the world would shut down."

Sean laughed and kissed her. When he pulled away, he said, "Okay, that's enough period talk for now. How about we talk about how incredible our son is."

Emma said, "When I think about how he was acting just a month ago and then think about how much better he's doing because of you, I get so angry with myself, Sean."

"Em—"

"No, really." She caressed Sean's face and said, "We should have been a family this whole time. We could have had more children by now."

"I'll admit, I get sad when I think about all the time I missed with him and with you, but we're here now, and I'm not going anywhere."

"Good."

He smiled and said, "I hope our next child is a girl who's just like you."

"That would be something."

"And that she inherits my height genes. A short mini-you and tall mini-me would be pretty funny."

Emma laughed, "You act like you're 4'10" or something."

"I'm just glad you didn't grow to be six feet because it looked like you were going to at one point."

"You think so?"

Sean nodded, "You were so much taller than everyone else in seventh grade."

"I wasn't taller than you."

He smiled and said, "We were the perfect size for each other."

Emma said, "We still are."


	34. Chapter 34

Drew was in his room, working on his project for Perino's class when his phone rang. He looked at it and smiled. It was Oliver. Drew took a deep breath before he answered the call. He didn't want to sound too excited and wanted to play it cool, "Hey."

Oliver said, "Hey man, I'm sorry I couldn't make it in today."

"It's fine. I found a lot of stuff for the project and I'm working on it now."

"Okay. I probably won't be in tomorrow either."

Drew looked disappointed and said, "No?"

"My fever hasn't broken yet. It's not as high as it was this morning, but I still feel awful."

"That sucks. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I just hope I didn't get you all sick."

"Don't worry, my mom is already pumping me with vitamin C."

"Is she?"

Drew laughed, "Oh yeah. She'll be in here soon to give me more."

Oliver laughed, then coughed. "Ugh, I gotta go. Coughing is making me dizzy."

"That sounds awful."

"It is. Again, I really hope I didn't give this to you."

"We'll be fine. It's not like we made out or anything." Drew grimaced as soon as the words left his mouth. He meant it as a joke, and he hoped Oliver realized that. Oliver coughed again and Drew said, "Feel better, man."

"Thanks. Bye."

Drew ended the call and put his head on his desk, "I can't believe I just did that." A few moments later, there was a knock on his door, "Come in."

Sean peeked his head in, "Hey, kiddo."

Drew lifted his head and said, "Hey."

Sean chuckled and asked, "You okay?"

Drew shrugged.

"So you're not okay." Sean walked into Drew's room, shut the door, and sat on the edge of his bed, "What's going on?"

"I was just on the phone with Oliver."

"Oh yeah? How's he feeling?"

"He sounds awful. He won't be in school tomorrow either."

"So what happened on the phone?"

Drew took a deep breath then said, "He said he hoped he didn't get me sick, and I said, 'It's not like we made out or anything.' He shook his head and said, "Then there was silence."

Sean grimaced, "That's rough."

"I just hope he realizes I was joking."

"He probably does."

Drew rolled his eyes and said, "I hate this feeling of pining away for someone and not knowing how they feel about me or if they feel anything at all."

"Ah, yeah, that's not a fun feeling. I never enjoyed that."

Drew asked, "Did that happen with you and mom?"

Sean nodded, "After our first breakup and believe me, I deserved to be dumped by your mother, but I pined for her all summer and when we got back to school. She went on with her life and I couldn't. I tried and failed miserably."

"How did you try?"

"I asked a girl named Ashley out."

"And she rejected you?"

"Not exactly." Sean laughed, "There's an entire story behind this but let's just say that high school nonsense came into play and after saying yes to going out with me, she changed her mind because of her friends."

Drew nodded then asked, "And then you got back together at Grandma and Grandpa's wedding?"

Sean smiled, "Yeah. Aunt Manny tried to get me invited to the wedding. Or she told me I was, but I actually wasn't. She just wanted me and your mom back together because she could see how miserable I was and she knew your mom was lying when she said she was over me. Then your mom got mad at Manny for doing that, but she ended up asking me to the wedding herself."

"So what happened the second time you broke up?"

"It was _bad_. I was a jackass." Sean shook his head, "Ugh, I hate even thinking about it."

"But what did you do?"

Sean took a deep breath and told Drew the story about Snake's cancer, feeling neglected by Emma, about stealing Snake's laptop and about dumping Emma.

Drew's eyes widened, "Wow, dad."

"I told you it was bad. I ended up confessing what I did to your Grandpa after he helped me get a passing grade. This was when I was on student welfare, and I needed passing grades to keep my apartment. He really helped me and I felt awful about what I did. So I told him, and he was so angry with me. But even worse than that, I disappointed him."

"Sometimes that's worse."

Sean nodded. "Yep. Then something happened to his car, and I helped him figure out what happened and I told him I could fix it for free for him. He didn't want my help at first, but I insisted because I needed to make it up to him."

Drew nodded. "Then you and mom got back together?"

Sean shook his head, "No, I was still with Ellie then."

"So you were with Ellie when you saved mom's life?"

"Yep."

Drew smiled, "You really loved mom. You stepped in front of a gun for her. Sorry. I know you don't enjoy talking about it." Sean nodded and Drew asked, "So how did you get together again?"

"That's another long story," Sean explained how he went back to Wasaga Beach after the shooting and stayed there for over a year. He told Drew about how he returned to finish high school at Degrassi, he told him about the street racing and about the pot Peter planted in his locker, his expulsion from Degrassi, then he told Drew about the hit and run, and his time in jail. "Jeez, now I feel kind of bad that you wrote that glowing paper about me after all the crap I pulled as a teenager."

"Dad, you're still a hero to me." Sean smiled and Drew said, "And you persevered."

"I'm glad you feel that way. So yeah, that's why I went into the Army. I wanted to make something of myself."

"And you did."

Sean nodded, "It took a while, but yes, I did." He leaned forward and said, "I'm so happy to have this chance with you so I can steer you in the right direction. I don't want you to make any of the mistakes I made."

"Well, at least we don't have to worry about me being hung up on any girls."

Sean laughed and shook his head, "Okay, I have taken up more than enough of your time." He stood up and said, "I'll let you get back to your work."

He walked to Drew's door and Drew said, "Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

Sean smiled and said, "You're welcome."

* * *

Later that night, Sean sat up in bed, waiting for Emma to get ready. He flipped through a magazine but read nothing. He was too busy thinking about the next day. When she walked into their room, he smiled at her.

"What's that smile for?"

"I can't smile at the woman I love?"

Emma laughed at his call back to what she said to him earlier in the evening, "You can." She climbed into bed and cuddled against him. "So are you excited about tomorrow?"

"I am. I cannot wait to be back at work and with the guys."

"And you can't wait for Drake to come in."

Sean nodded and said, "I'm nervous. I know it'll be fine because I've worked with other famous clients but as Drew said, he is the most popular person on the planet right now and that's a little intimidating."

Emma raised her head up and kissed his cheek, "It'll be great and you will impress Drake with your work."

Sean smiled, "Thank you. I needed that."

"You're welcome."

"So I had an interesting conversation with our son earlier."

"Oh?"

Sean nodded, "I told him how much of an asshole I was when I was a teenager."

"You did?"

"Yep. I told him about _everything._ About stealing Snake's laptop, the car racing, the hit and run, my time in jail."

Emma asked, "And what did he say?"

"I joked about feeling bad that he wrote that paper about me being a hero when I was such a shithead in high school. I didn't use that word, obviously. He said he was still proud of me because I persevered."

Emma smiled at him, "You did." She kissed him and leaned her forehead against his, "You really did."

Sean kissed her again and asked, "Not until Sunday, huh?"

"Nope." She quickly kissed Sean's nose then turned, reached over, and shut her lamp. "Now let's get to sleep so I can wake up early and cook you breakfast."

"Em, you don't have to do that."

"I know I don't _have_ to but I want to." She snuggled up against his chest. "Goodnight, babe."

He wrapped his arms around her, kissed her hair, and said, "Goodnight."

* * *

The next morning, Emma woke up early and stretched. She turned and looked at Sean. He looked so peaceful sleeping and that made her happy. He hadn't had a nightmare in a few days. Sean continued to sleep while Emma went to the bathroom, brushed her teeth, took care of some things, and walked back into the bedroom. She sat next to Sean, bent down, and kissed his cheek. He stirred, then she kissed his forehead and his other cheek. He opened his eyes, and she smiled at him. "Good morning, handsome."

He smiled and said, "Good morning, gorgeous."

"Go take a shower, I'm going down to cook your breakfast."

"Okay." He pursed his lips, and she kissed him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She stood up and asked, "Are you in the mood for anything in particular?"

He shook his head, "Surprise me."

She winked at him and walked down the stairs.

* * *

By the time Sean finished his shower, got dressed, and walked downstairs, Emma was plating his breakfast. "Perfect timing!"

"It smells incredible down here."

"I made some cheesy potato hash."

Sean looked into the skillet and said, "Wow, Em. You didn't have to do all this."

"Again, I know I didn't have to. I wanted to because I love you."

"Thanks." He kissed her cheek and walked around the island and sat down. "I love you too."

She smiled and asked, "Want some coffee?"

"Always."

"You got it." She placed his food in front of him, poured him some coffee, and sat next to him with her own plate.

Sean took a bite of his food and smiled.

"Good?"

He nodded and mumbled, "Mmm-hmm."

Emma giggled and kissed his cheek.

When he finished his first bite, he asked, "How are you feeling this morning?"

"I'm okay for now."

About a little while later, Drew came downstairs and said, "Mom, it smells so good."

Emma hopped off her stool, walked over to the warming drawer, and took out Drew's plate of food. "Here you go, kiddo."

"Thanks!" He sat on the other side of Sean and asked, "So, are you nervous about tonight, dad?"

"A little."

Drew said, "You shouldn't be. You're the best."

Sean smiled at Drew.

"Okay," Emma kissed Sean's cheek, "I have to get ready so if I don't see you before you leave, good luck, kick-ass, and all that jazz."

"Thanks, babe."

Drew took a bite of his breakfast and nodded.

Sean said, "Good, right?"

Drew said, "You should have Drake come into the shop every day if mom's going to cook stuff like this for us."

Sean laughed.

* * *

Sean pulled up to the shop and felt nervous. He hadn't been back since the robbery and he hoped he wouldn't have a PTSD flashback at the wrong moment. Pete pulled up next to him and waved. Sean waved back and shut off his truck. He took a deep breath before he got out of the truck, and Pete walked over to him.

"Hey man, I'm so glad you're back." They hugged hello.

Sean pulled away and smiled, "Me too."

Pete looked at Sean's face and asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Almost 100%."

"Good."

Sean unlocked the shop door and let Pete inside.

"So, I left you the list of jobs we completed while you were out and a list of all the current jobs."

"Great."

They walked toward Sean's office together, and when Sean unlocked the door, he hesitated before opening it. Pete asked, "Are you okay?"

Sean nodded, "Yeah, sorry." He opened the door, walked inside, and looked at the file cabinet, then at the floor behind his desk.

"We cleaned everything."

"Thanks, I appreciate that." He sat at his desk and turned on his computer. "So we should decide who will work on Drake's car."

Pete sat across from him and said, "I think it should be you, me and Jay."

Sean nodded, "I agree."

"Cool."

"You have no problem working extra hours?"

Pete shook his head, "Nope. It's fine."

"I really owe you for the past week."

Pete held up his hands, "Sean, you don't owe me anything. I did what anyone else would do. I'm just glad you're okay."

"So am I." He looked around and said, "I'm so happy to be back. I missed this place."

"Well, we missed you too."

Sean smiled, "Oh, just a heads up, Drew will be in on Saturday."

"I like Drew. He's a good kid."

Sean smiled, "I'm just glad he is interested in what I do for a living."

"Maybe he can start working here in a few years."

"Wouldn't that be something?"

Jay knocked on Sean's door and said, "Welcome back, Cameron."

"Thank you. Come in and sit."

Jay walked over and sat next to Pete.

"Can you work with us on Drake's car?"

"Hell yeah, I can."

Sean laughed.

"He's definitely coming in tonight, right?"

Sean nodded, "Yep."

"Cool, I'm stoked."

"I'm glad you're stoked." Sean took a deep breath.

"You okay?"

Sean nodded. "It's just a little weird being here because the last time I was here..."

Jay nodded, "We cleaned everything for you. We didn't want you to be reminded of what happened."

"Thanks. And how are you doing?"

"I'm fine."

Sean looked at Pete and said, "Did this one tell you about his proposal in my hospital room?"

Pete laughed, "Yes, he did. So are you next?"

"I hope so."

"Again," Jay leaned forward and said, "I got a guy for you."

Sean smiled, "Thanks."

* * *

Emma dropped Drew off at Degrassi, then headed to her first appointment. She was meeting a couple who were looking at a nearly $7M house with an elevator, a wine cellar and a movie theater. When she pulled up, the couple was already waiting at the house which made Emma grimace. She loathed being late. She got out of her car and walked over to the couple. The man had his back turned to Emma while the woman waved at her.

Emma said, "Hi, I'm so sorry. I got stuck behind a guy who was afraid to pass a streetcar."

The woman smiled and said, "We got here extra early because I'm anxious."

Emma smiled, and they shook hands.

"I'm Aubrey and that is my husband Jim."

The husband ended his call, turned around and he smiled. It was Jimmy Brooks. "Hi, Emma."

"Jimmy? Oh, my goodness!" They hugged, "How are you?"

"I'm great."

"Obviously, if you're looking at this place."

He chuckled and said, "Yeah, well. This is my wife, Aubrey."

Emma said, "We just met."

Jimmy looked at his wife and said, "Emma and I graduated high school together."

"Oh! It's so nice to meet you. I love meeting the people Jimmy grew up with."

Jimmy asked, "What's going on with you? I mean, besides this."

"Well, my son just turned 14." She could tell Jimmy was doing the math in his head, "Yes, I had a kid right out of high school."

Jimmy asked, "With that guy Damien?"

Emma shook her head and said, "No. With Sean."

Jimmy smiled and shook his head, "You two."

"Yeah."

"I know about Sean's shop. He's doing well?"

"He's doing _very_ well." Emma didn't want to say anything at first but then she couldn't help bragging about Sean, "Drake is stopping by tonight so Sean can mod his car."

"No shit! That's incredible. Wow!"

"Yeah. Sean was a little nervous before he left for work this morning."

"I'm sure he was but I'm also sure it'll be great. He's always been good with cars."

Emma smiled, "Okay, how about we look at the house?"

Jimmy held out his arm and said, "After you two lovely ladies."

"Still as charming as ever, huh Jimmy?"

"I try."

* * *

"Mr. Nelson, how are things going with your project?" Drew walked over to Mr. Perino and showed him everything he put together for the project. Perino looked through it all and said, "Looks real good, Drew. I can't wait for you to present this to the class."

"Thanks, Mr. Perino."

"Hopefully Oliver will be back at some point this week and can contribute."

"He won't be penalized for being sick, will he?"

"Nah. I understand that stuff happens. You can't help getting sick."

Drew nodded and walked back to his desk. He was still thinking about what he said to Oliver on the phone the previous night and rolled his eyes every time it replayed in his head.

After Perino's class, Drew walked to his locker and said hi to Maddie.

She smiled and said, "You missed another scene a few minutes ago."

Drew laughed and asked, "Oh boy, what now?"

"Olivia and Travis, again."

Drew shook his head and scoffed, "Straight couples are so hilarious. They'll fight in public like it's no big deal."

Maddie laughed and said, "It's true, you wouldn't see gay couples pulling this crap."

Drew nodded and smiled.

"Oliver is still out?"

"I talked to him last night for a few minutes and he sounded awful. He said he hopes he didn't get us all sick."

"Yeah, no kidding. So far, so good."

"Me too."

Maddie closed her locker, "See ya later."

"Bye." Drew got his books for the afternoon and shut his locker.

* * *

Emma, Jimmy, and Aubrey had made it to the house's third-floor terrace and Jimmy looked around, "The only thing I don't like is all those terraces looking down on our property."

Emma said, "No naked sunbathing for you."

Both Jimmy and his wife laughed. The threesome made their way back down to the main floor and to the front door of the house. Jimmy said, "We'll let you know later this week."

"Okay, and if this isn't the place for you, I have a few places in mind."

"Great!" Jimmy hugged her, "It was good seeing you, Emma."

"You too." She looked at Aubrey and said, "It was so nice meeting you."

"You too!"

Jimmy said, "Give Sean my best."

"I will." Emma watched Jimmy and Aubrey make their way to their car and she texted Sean, "You will not believe who my client was just now."

Sean had just finished looking over a car when his phone vibrated. He took it out, read Emma's message, and typed back, "It wasn't Drake, was it?"

Emma sat in her car looking at her emails when Sean's text flashed across her screen. She laughed, "Almost. It was Jimmy Brooks and his wife." She put her phone into her bag and started her car. She had to go to the office before her next appointment.

Sean laughed at Emma's response and texted back, "Okay. That's pretty funny."

* * *

Later that afternoon, Archie let Drew into his office. "Hey, kiddo."

"Hi, grandpa."

He asked, "Everything okay?"

Drew nodded.

"So why did you want to see me?"

"I wanted to thank you again for my birthday present."

Archie smiled and said, "You're welcome. Did you have a fun time at your party?"

Drew nodded, "I did. It was great to have my dad there."

"You really like him, don't you."

He nodded again. "He told me about what he did to you, with the laptop, I mean."

That shocked Archie, "He did?"

"Yeah, he told me a lot of stuff last night." Archie nodded and Drew continued, "And I'm fine with all of it because my dad made something of himself, you know? He didn't continue down a destructive path."

Archie nodded, "That is true. You know, I always had a soft spot for your father and it disappointed me when he confessed that he stole the laptop."

"He said he made it up to you by fixing your car."

"Yep. He spent nearly a month fixing that thing, and it worked like new after he finished." He smiled and said, "It was a real piece of junk."

Drew smiled, "Mom told me he was always good at fixing cars."

"She's right. Are you interested in fixing cars?"

He nodded, "I'm going to the shop again this weekend."

"That's great."

"Yeah, I can't wait."

Archie looked at his grandson and asked, "Is there something else, Drew? It feels like you're holding back."

Drew shook his head, "I guess I'm just tired or something."

"Okay." Archie looked at the clock and said, "Well, it's almost time for last period."

Drew stood up, "Yeah. See you tomorrow, Grandpa."

"Have a good afternoon, kiddo."

Drew smiled and walked out of Archie's office.


	35. Chapter 35

Sean sat at his desk, looking at the clock on the computer. It was 5:15. The guys were finishing up their work, and Sean just wanted the day to be over. It felt as if the afternoon dragged and minutes felt like hours. He wanted Drake to get there so they could make a plan for his car. Sean went through some paperwork and kept himself busy as the guys began checking out and leaving.

Sean's phone vibrated, and he opened the message. It was a video from Emma and Drew wishing him good luck. He wrote back, "Thank you, and I love you both." Sean smiled as he watched the video a second time. He felt lucky to have Emma and Drew in his life, especially now. And especially while he was in the hospital.

After the last mechanic left for the day, Jay and Pete closed the bay doors and locked up the shop. They all sat in Sean's office, waiting for the phone call.

Sean said, "I hate this."

Jay smiled and said, "Okay, let's talk about you and Emma."

"Why?"

"Because we need to pass the time and because I'm nosy."

Sean laughed, "Fine. What would you like to talk about?"

"When are you proposing?"

Sean shrugged, "I'm not sure. I want to surprise her with the proposal as much as I can. We've already talked about being married, so she knows it's coming."

"And a ring?"

"Your fiance showed me a ring, and I think it will look good on Em."

"I'll go with you. I'm not leaving for L.A. for six weeks."

"Six weeks?"

"Yeah, Manny booked something else after the pilot, so she'd rather me go out there when she has time to be with me."

Sean nodded and said, "That makes sense." He looked at Pete, "I'm sorry if this conversation is boring."

Pete smiled, "I don't mind. I'm enjoying the distraction."

"I just thought of something," Jay cocked his head to the side and asked, "How are you explaining your face to Drake?"

Sean laughed, "Do you think he'll say something?"

"You never know. You're still pretty bruised."

"Should I say I was in a fight?" Sean answered his question and said, "No. He may take his business elsewhere. And I don't want to tell him about the robbery because I don't want him to think we have poor security here."

"Just say you fell or something."

The phone call finally came at 6:15. Sean said, "Here we go," He took a deep breath, picked up the phone, and said, "Cameron's Custom Cars." Sean nodded, "Okay. We'll be right there." He hung up the phone, looked at Pete and Jay, and said, "It's showtime."

All three of them stood up and walked toward the front door of the shop. Sean opened the door, smiled, and said, "Welcome, come on in."

* * *

Emma and Drew sat at the table in the dining room. Drew attempted to do some homework, but he was too busy thinking about how things were going in the shop. Emma also tried to look at some of her paperwork, but she again was nervous and thinking about Sean.

After a while, Drew shut his notebook and said, "Mom, I can't concentrate. I'm nervous for dad."

"Me either." She moved the paperwork to the side, looked at Drew, and said, "I'm sure things are fine. They're better than fine. Your dad's great at his job."

Drew nodded, "I know he is. It's just that Drake is Drake, and this is monumental."

Emma smiled and said, "It is."

"If Drake likes what dad does to his car, he may recommend dad's shop to all his friends."

"That would be something." She stood up and said, "How about I cook us all some dinner? That might relax me. Are you in the mood for anything particular?"

Drew shrugged, "Not really."

"Okay. I'll think of something good to make for us."

"Want me to help?"

Emma raised an eyebrow and asked, "Do you want to help me?"

Drew nodded, "It'll help me relax too."

Emma smiled and said, "Well, come on over." Drew walked over, and Emma opened the refrigerator, "Hmm, I want to cook something nice for your father."

Drew said, "Well if you _really_ wanted to be nice, you'd cook a steak or something."

Emma laughed, "No can do. We don't have one."

"Would you make a steak for dad?"

"Sure. I've made burgers for you, haven't I?"

"That's true."

Emma looked at what they had in the fridge and said, "I have an idea." She started grabbing things, closed the door, and walked over to the counter next to the stove. "Want to cut some veggies for me?"

"Um, I'll leave that to you, mom."

Emma giggled and said, "Okay, that's fine."

* * *

After Drake and his two assistants left, Sean locked the shop door and walked back into his office. Pete and Jay were standing near his desk, and they smiled at him.

Sean said, "That went well, I think."

Pete said, "Man, it was fantastic! Your ideas were brilliant."

Sean smiled and said, "Thanks."

Pete looked at Jay and Sean and said, "I can not wait to get started on that car."

Jay nodded, "Same. And I think it's an excellent idea for him to bring it in late on Friday."

Sean nodded, "Me too. So you're both absolutely sure you can do this?"

They both answered with an emphatic "Yes!" which made Sean laugh.

"Okay, okay!" He walked over to his computer, saved the file with Drake's car's plans, and shut down for the night. "We will celebrate when this job is over."

Pete asked, "Oh yeah?"

Sean nodded and walked over to them, "Yep, a fancy steak dinner, wine, cigars, the works."

"Strippers?"

Sean shook his head and laughed, "No."

"Boo. Live a little, Cameron."

He looked at Jay and said, "No."

They walked out of Sean's office, and he locked the door. Sean looked around the shop and asked, "Does everything look okay?"

Both Pete and Jay nodded.

"Good. Let's get out of here." Sean said goodbye to Pete and Jay, locked the shop, and got into his truck. He called Emma.

Emma's phone was on the dining table by Drew, so he turned it over and said, "It's dad!"

"Oh, good." She picked it up and answered, "Hey, babe."

"Hey. I just wanted to let you know that I'm on my way. Do you need anything?"

Emma looked around and said, "No, I think we're all good over here."

"Okay, I'll be home soon."

"Great, see you then."

"Bye,"

She ended the call, looked at Drew, and said, "I couldn't tell from his voice if it went well or not."

Drew said, "Guess we'll find out when he gets home."

Emma nodded and walked back into the kitchen to finish dinner.

* * *

As soon as Sean walked into the house, Drew jogged over to him and bombarded him with questions. "How did it go? Was he cool? Did he like your shop? What happened?"

"Whoa!" Sean laughed and put his hands on Drew's shoulders, "I promise to tell you everything. I just need to take a quick shower first. I worked up a sweat waiting for him to show up, I sweat while he was there and I feel disgusting right now."

Emma called out from the kitchen, "Dinner will be ready in another 10 minutes."

Sean said, "Perfect!" Then he looked at Drew and said, "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Drew pouted and said, "Oh, all right."

Sean jogged up the stairs and Drew walked back over to the table. Sean stripped out of his clothes as soon as he got up to the third floor. He couldn't wait to shower. He also couldn't help but smile. Things went well with Drake, and it appeared the shop's work impressed Drake.

After his shower, Sean changed into his pajamas. He put on a robe and walked downstairs.

Emma called out, "Perfect timing!" Then she got a good look at him and asked, "Pajamas already?"

Sean smiled as he walked over to the table. "Yes." He kissed Emma hello and sat down next to Drew. "So, how was school?"

"Who cares about school!? Tell us everything!"

Sean laughed, "Okay!" He smiled at Emma and said, "It went well. Really well. He loved all my ideas, and we'll start working on it this weekend."

Drew's eyes lit up, "Please tell me he's coming in on Saturday."

"Sorry, kiddo. Friday night, but you will see his car on Saturday."

"That's so cool!"

Sean nodded.

Emma said, "I'm so proud of you, babe."

"Thank you." She set his food down in front of him, and he said, "You didn't have to serve me. I could have gotten it myself."

"Don't worry about it." She grabbed Drew's plate and said, "I enjoy doing this for my boys." She kissed Drew on his head and placed his food in front of him.

"Thanks, mom."

"You're welcome." Emma grabbed her plate and sat down. "So, how was your first day back otherwise?"

"It was fine. I was so happy to be back, but the afternoon dragged. Every minute felt like an hour."

"And you were okay being there?"

"I felt a little uneasy when I first got there, but Pete showed up, and we walked into the shop together. That made it a little easier for me, although I hesitated before walking into my office. Luckily, the guys cleaned everything, and it looks like nothing happened."

Emma placed her hand on Sean's and smiled at him. "That's good."

Sean winked at her then turned to Drew, "So how was school?"

"Fine. Mr. Perino said he was looking forward to seeing our presentation on James Naismith. He even smiled."

Sean joked, "Wow, that's big news."

Drew laughed, "Yeah, no kidding."

* * *

After dinner, Sean and Emma relaxed on the couch while Drew did his homework upstairs.

"I'm exhausted."

Emma caressed Sean's face, "That's because you stressed yourself out while you were waiting for your big client to show up."

"I know. I'm just relieved because it went as well as it did." He asked, "How did your appointment go with Jimmy?"

"I think it was okay but I'm not sure if they will take that place. I have a few more in mind for them."

"That's good."

"This one had an elevator, a wine cellar, and a rooftop deck."

"Wow. Must be nice."

Emma smiled, "Sorry, you have to walk up two flights of stairs to get to our bedroom."

Sean laughed, "It's keeping me in shape." He held her hand then kissed it, "I love this house because you and Drew are here."

Emma kissed him and rested her head on his chest.

"Anyway, I understand why Jimmy would want a place like that. I know he can walk now but having to walk up so many stairs can't be easy for someone who had to relearn how to walk."

Emma nodded, "He's really come a long way." Sean nodded and Emma continued, "I also may have told him about Drake."

"Oh, yeah?"

She looked at him and said, "I couldn't help it. I wanted to brag about how great you are at your job."

Sean smiled and said, "I appreciate that."

Emma kissed him, then asked, "You want some ice cream?"

"Sure."

They both stood up and walked into the kitchen. "There's still cake left too if you want a piece."

Sean nodded. "Should I go see if our son would like some?"

"I'll fix him a bowl, and you can bring it up to him."

"Okay."

A few minutes later, Sean knocked on Drew's door.

"Come in!"

Sean opened the door and said, "Here's some cake and ice cream."

"Ooh, thanks!"

"You're welcome." Sean handed the bowl to Drew, then asked, "How's homework going?"

"I'm almost done."

"Good. Come down and hang out with mom and me, you know, if you want to."

"Give me 15 minutes."

"Don't rush. We're just watching HGTV, as usual."

Drew laughed, "Yeah, mom loves that channel."

"I know. But at least she's not addicted to those awful housewives shows or the Kardashians."

"Oh, she is, but I think she doesn't want you to know that."

Sean laughed, "Really?" Drew nodded. "Maybe I'll suggest it and see what she says."

Drew laughed, and Sean left his room.

* * *

Later that night, Sean, Emma, and Drew were all in the living room watching T.V. when Emma asked, "Maddie is coming over tomorrow, right?"

Drew nodded, "Yep. We are studying for the _Lord of the Flies_ test."

Sean asked, "Did you like the book?"

Drew shrugged, "It was okay, I guess."

Sean said, "I didn't like most of the books they made us read in school."

Emma laughed, "You really didn't like Shakespeare."

Sean smiled, "I hated Shakespeare."

"I don't mind Shakespeare. It's not the best thing in the world, but it's okay."

Emma asked, "Can Maddie definitely stay for dinner?"

"Yep. Her mom said yes."

"Great! I'll make something nice for all of us."

Drew smiled.

Emma asked, "So things are okay with you and Maddie again?"

"Yeah. I just hope she'll be supportive when I tell her my news."

Emma smiled, "I think she will be, sweetie."

Drew took a deep breath and said, "Let's talk about something else."

Sean looked at Emma, then said, "Okay, kiddo. Whatever you want."

"Are we still going to IKEA on Saturday?"

Sean said, "If you want to, or we can go on Sunday. Either way is fine with me."

Drew thought about it for a second and said, "Let's do it Sunday."

Emma clapped her hands together and said, "Great! We can all go. I need to buy some stuff for the master bedroom closet and the bathroom."

Sean raised an eyebrow and asked, "Oh?"

"Yes, we need to organize your part of the closet. I love organizing!" Sean laughed. "Why are you laughing at me?"

"I don't know. You just look so excited about getting storage cubes."

"I can't help it!"

Drew shook his head at his parents and chuckled. He stood up, stretched, and said, "I'm going to bed."

Emma looked at the clock and asked, "Are you feeling okay?"

He shrugged and said, "I'm just tired."

Emma stood up, reached over, and felt Drew's forehead, "Sweetie, you are warm."

"Ugh, I can't get sick. Not now."

Emma got up and said, "Come on. We are taking your temperature, and I am giving you some Tylenol."

"Mom, I can do it myself, I'm 14."

"Knowing you, you'll lie and say you're fine." Drew rolled his eyes, and Emma said, "Upstairs, young man."

Drew looked at Sean, "Goodnight, dad."

"Goodnight, kiddo. Feel better."

Sean watched Drew and Emma walk up the stairs, then sat back on the couch and smiled.

A few minutes later, Emma helped Drew get into bed. "I can't believe I have a fever. This sucks."

"Well, it's a low-grade fever, so maybe we can stop it from getting too bad."

Drew pulled his blanket up to his chin and said, "I hope so. I have too many things to do this week, and I don't want to miss them."

Emma smiled and said, "IKEA will always be there. And if you're too sick to go, we can always go next week."

"But, I wanted to go to the shop with dad this weekend."

"I know you did. But the shop will always be there too."

"Drake's car won't always be there."

Emma caressed his face and said, "Try to get some sleep." Emma walked over to his door, "If you feel worse in the middle of the night, wake me up, okay?"

"Okay."

"Goodnight, sweetie.'

"Goodnight, mom."

Emma shut Drew's light and closed his door. When she walked back downstairs she looked at Sean and said, "He's disappointed about the possibility of not being able to go to the shop with you this weekend."

"Poor kid."

She looked at him and asked, "Would you like to come upstairs with me to bed?"

"Sure." He stood up and joked, "I already dressed for the occasion."

She grabbed his hand, and they walked up the stairs together. When they reached the master bathroom, Emma said, "Just give me a few minutes, and you can come in and get ready."

"Okay."

* * *

Drew woke up at 4 a.m. He was sweating, had a terrible headache, and felt nauseated. Suddenly, he felt sick, ran into the bathroom, and threw up. He just made it to the toilet in time. Emma woke up when she heard him, and she walked downstairs. She peeked her head into the bathroom and said, "Sweetie?"

Drew was sitting up against the toilet with his head on his arm, "I think I'm dying."

Emma smiled and sat with him on the floor.

"You don't want to be in here, mom."

"But I want to help you."

Before he couldn't answer, Drew threw up again, and Emma rubbed his back until he finished. When he finished that round, he said, "Oh my God, this is the worst." He reached up to flush the toilet then rested his head on his arm.

Emma stood up, grabbed a washcloth, wet it, then kneeled down and placed it on the back of Drew's neck.

"Thanks, mom."

"You're welcome."

Sean appeared in the doorway, "Uh, oh."

Emma looked up at him and nodded.

"Can I do anything?"

Emma shook her head, "I think we've got it covered."

"Okay." Sean walked downstairs and made some coffee for him and Emma. They would not be getting back to sleep that morning.

* * *

Emma called Archie early and let him know that Drew would not be in school.

"Poor kid."

"Yeah, he threw up, and his temperature is 102."

"Oh, boy. I wonder if Maddie and Ethan will be next."

"Speaking of Maddie, Drew had invited her over to study tonight, and that's not happening, so can you let Maddie know about Drew?"

"Not a problem."

"Great, thanks, dad."

"I'll bring his assignments over after school."

"Perfect. I'm staying home with him. I'm not feeling great myself, and I just want to make sure he's okay."

"Sounds good. I will let all his teachers know and I'll let Maddie know."

"Thanks again."

"Bye, kiddo."

Emma ended the call and looked into Drew's room. "Your grandpa will let Maddie know that you're sick today."

"Okay."

"Try to sleep a little." She walked over to his bed, sat next to him, and felt his forehead. "You're really burning up."

"I hate being sick."

"I know. I don't like it either."

Sean walked down the stairs and peeked into Drew's room, "Hey, I'm heading out." He looked at Drew and said, "Feel better kiddo."

"Thanks, dad."

Emma stood up and walked over to Sean, "Have a good day."

He smiled, kissed her, and said, "Let me know if you need anything, okay?"

She nodded, "I will."

He kissed her again and said, "I love you."

"I love you too."

Sean jogged down the stairs, grabbed his coat, and walked out of the house. Emma turned back to see how Drew was doing, but he was already asleep.


	36. Chapter 36

Sean looked through his work orders on the computer and got everything ready for the day while Jay drank his coffee. Sean told him what was going on with Drew.

"Poor kid."

Sean nodded, "Yeah, he was looking forward to being here on Saturday." He noticed an email from Drake's assistant. Sean read it and said to Jay, "They're dropping off the car tonight instead of tomorrow."

"Oh shit, really?"

Sean nodded, typed a message back to Drake's assistant, and smiled, "I'd say this week is going a lot better than last week."

"No kidding." Jay stood up and stretched, "I am dragging today. I am going to need at least three cups of coffee."

"Why?"

"I was on the phone with Manny until 4."

"4 a.m.? What were you doing on the phone until four in the morning?" Jay smirked, and Sean asked, "Phone sex?"

"You got it. But not just phone sex, Facetime sex."

Sean chuckled and shook his head.

"You've never had phone sex?"

"I didn't say that."

Jay raised an eyebrow and asked, "With Emma?"

Sean shook his head, "No. With a girl I dated a while ago."

"Ah, I see."

"She was away on business, and it just sort of happened." Sean stood up and said, "Anyway, I prefer the real thing."

"Me too. But I was horny last night."

"Thanks for sharing."

Jay asked, "How are you and Em in that department?"

"We're fine."

"Just fine?"

Sean shook his head, "You know I don't kiss and tell."

"Boring." Jay walked over to the coffee maker and waited for his cup to fill, "By the way, I'm nearly done with the Escalade."

"Cool. Just let me know when and I'll take a look."

"Will do." Once Jay got his coffee, he walked out of Sean's office, and Sean called Emma.

Emma lounged on the couch, watching T.V. when her phone rang. She smiled when she saw it was Sean, "Hi babe."

"Hey, how's Drew?"

"Sleeping, thank goodness."

"And how are you?"

"I'm fine. I'm just lying here on the couch watching HGTV."

Sean chuckled, "So you're in your happy place."

She smiled and said, "Well, it would be better if you were here with me."

"I know. As much as I love my job, I'd much rather just be with you all day."

Suddenly Drew called out Emma's name, and she said, "Uh oh, Drew's calling for me."

"Okay. Let me know if you need anything."

"I will. Love you."

"Love you."

Emma ended the call and jogged up the stairs. "Hi, sweetie."

"Hi." He slowly sat up and held his head, "My head still hurts a lot."

"I'll get you more Tylenol. How's your stomach?"

"Better."

"Do you think you could eat some soup?"

Drew shrugged, "I guess."

"Okay," Emma walked into the bathroom, grabbed the bottle of Tylenol, filled a cup with water, and brought them into Drew's room. "Take this."

Drew did what he was told and said, "Thanks."

"You're welcome. I will make you some soup."

He asked, "Can I sleep for a little while?"

"Of course, sweetie. The soup won't be ready for a while. I'm making it from scratch."

"Wow, you must really love me."

Emma smiled, "I do. Now rest for a while, and I'll be back up here with your soup when you wake up."

* * *

When Maddie was called to the principal's office, her class, "oohed" and "ahhed." Madison Allen never went to the principal's office. She stood up, walked out of Perino's class, and headed to the main office.

She walked up to the counter near the main entrance and said, "I'm here to see Mr. Simpson."

"Yes, hi, Madison. Just sit right there, and he'll be right out."

"Okay." Maddie sat down and waited for Mr. Simpson to come out of his office. When he did, she said, "Hi, Mr. Simpson."

"Hey, Maddie, come on in." He let Madison walk in first and then walked around his desk and sat down.

Maddie sat down across from him and looked around, "Am I in trouble?"

"Oh, no! I'm sorry, I probably should have explained that right away, huh?"

Maddie smiled.

"I just wanted to tell you that Drew is sick today."

"Oh."

Archie nodded, "He had a fever, and it seems he has a stomach bug."

Maddie wrinkled her face, "That means I'm probably next, right?"

"It's possible. Just please do me a favor and go directly to the nurse if you feel sick."

Maddie nodded and said, "I will."

"You should probably warn Ethan too if he isn't already sick."

"I didn't see him at his locker before homeroom, so maybe he already got it."

Archie shook his head, "I just hope it doesn't spread around the school."

After a few moments of silence, Maddie asked, "Is that all, Mr. Simpson?"

"Yes." Maddie stood up, and Archie handed her a pass, "To give to Mr. Perino."

"Thanks." Maddie walked out of Mr. Simpson's office and right into Ethan. "Oh, you're here."

He held up his late pass and said, "Yeah, I woke up late. Why?"

"It seems Drew got whatever Oliver had."

"Were they making out or something?"

Maddie shook her head, "You're an ass."

"Oh, I'm kidding." They walked down the hall together, and Ethan said, "I really hope I don't get sick. I hate throwing up."

Maddie rolled her eyes and said, "Ethan, no one enjoys throwing up."

* * *

Emma was stirring the soup she made for Drew when he walked downstairs.

"Sweetie, why aren't you in bed?"

"I want to watch T.V." He walked over to the couch with his blanket wrapped around his body, and he laid down.

"Okay, the soup is almost ready."

Drew's phone buzzed, and he looked at it. It was a text from Oliver. "Did I get you sick?"

"Yes."

Oliver wrote back, "Sorry. Did you puke too?"

"Yes. This morning."

"Well, the good thing is it only lasts for two days. I feel so much better today."

Drew read Oliver's message and typed back, "That's good because I hate being this sick. It feels like I was run over by a dump truck or something."

Oliver wrote back, "Yeah, it's not fun, but you should be feeling better by Saturday."

Emma walked over with Drew's soup, "Here you go."

He put his phone down, "Thanks." He put the spoon to his mouth, slurped the soup, and nodded, "That's good, mom."

"Good! I'm glad you think so."

"Oliver just texted me and said he feels a lot better today. Said the illness lasts two days. So I should be okay to go to dad's shop on Saturday!"

"We'll see about that, kiddo."

Drew whined, "Oh, come on, mom. I really want to go."

"I know you do, but we'll see."

Drew pouted, and Emma smiled.

* * *

Sean grabbed his jacket and walked out of his office. He stopped by Jay's lift and said, "I'll be back in an hour or so."

Jay peeked out from under the Escalade he was working on and asked, "Checking up on Drew?"

Sean nodded, "Yeah."

Jay smiled, "You enjoy being a dad, huh?"

Sean smiled, "It's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"Drew's a good kid."

"Thank goodness. If he was anything like I was at that age, we'd be in a lot of trouble."

Jay laughed, and Sean walked out to his truck. As soon as he got in, he called Emma.

Emma and Drew were watching T.V. together when her phone rang. She picked it up, "Oh, it's your father. Hello?"

"Hello, beautiful. I'm coming home for lunch."

"You are?"

"Yes, is that okay?"

"Of course, it's okay, silly! I made a big pot of soup."

"Perfect. I should be there in 10 minutes unless you need me to pick anything up?"

"Nope. We're fine over here."

"Okay, see you soon."

"Bye."

Drew asked, "Is dad coming home?"

Emma smiled and stood up, "Yep."

"Maybe he'll let me go to work with him on Saturday."

"Andrew, I'm not doing this to punish you. I just want to make sure you're okay on Saturday."

Sean walked into the house 10 minutes later.

He called out to Emma, "Hey, babe!"

"Hi!"

He walked over to Drew, "How are you, kiddo?"

"A little better."

"Good."

Emma walked over to Sean and kissed him hello, "Hello. Your soup is ready. You want to eat it here?"

"Sure." He followed her into the kitchen and grabbed a bowl and a spoon.

She scooped the soup into his bowl and asked, "Do you want crackers?"

"Nope, I'm all set. Thanks." Sean walked back into the living room and sat on the loveseat. Emma joined him, and Drew looked at them. Sean smiled and asked, "What's on your mind, kiddo?"

"Oliver said his illness only lasted two days, which means if I had what he had, I should be okay for Saturday."

Sean looked at Emma, then back at Drew, "We'll see."

"Ugh, that's what mom said!"

Sean laughed, "Kiddo, we just want to make sure you're 100%."

"I know. I just want to see Drake's car."

"Oh, speaking of that, he's dropping it off tonight instead of tomorrow, so I'll be a little late tonight."

Drew asked, "So you'll start working on it tomorrow?"

"That's the plan." Sean took a sip of his soup and turned to Emma.

She asked, "Is it good?"

He nodded, "Very."

"Good." She rested her head on his shoulder.

* * *

After having a pleasant time at home with Emma and Drew, Sean had to go back to the shop.

"I'm glad you're feeling a little better, kiddo."

"Me too."

Emma asked, "How late do you think you'll be?"

Sean shrugged, "Not sure. I hope to be home by 7. I'll call if things are running later than that." He leaned forward and kissed her, "See you later."

"Bye."

"Bye, kiddo."

Sean walked out the front door, and Drew looked at Emma, "I have the coolest dad." Emma smiled. "I'm serious."

"I know you are." Emma suddenly felt a wave of sadness wash over her and quickly walked toward the kitchen.

"Mom? Are you okay?"

"Yep. Fine. Just have to check something, I'll be right back."

Emma walked to the back door, opened it, and stepped out onto the back porch. She figured her emotions were heightened because of her period and let herself cry for a few moments. But the guilt of keeping Drew a secret from Sean was getting to her. The closer they became, the guiltier she felt about how long they were kept apart.

Drew got up and walked to the back door. He saw his mother holding onto the railing with her head down and could tell she was upset. He felt terrible because he knew it had to be his fault. He opened the door and said, "Mom?"

Emma quickly raised her head and wiped her face. She didn't turn around, "I'll be right in, sweetie."

"I'm sorry if I upset you."

Emma turned around and shook her head, "It's not your fault. It's my fault." Drew furrowed his brow, and Emma continued, "Everything is my fault."

Drew looked at Emma and said, "Mom, please come back inside."

"I'll be there in a few minutes, I promise."

Drew nodded and closed the door. Emma turned around again, held onto the railing, and cried.

When Drew got to the couch, he grabbed his phone then walked toward the stairs. He felt tired, and he wanted to give his mother some space. Drew was out of breath by the time he got to the top step of the staircase and was thankful his bed wasn't too far of a walk from the landing. He flopped onto his bed, buried himself under his blankets, and fell asleep.

Emma walked back in and called out Drew's name. When she realized he went back upstairs, she sighed. Emma washed her face in the powder room off the kitchen and walked back into the living room. She turned on the T.V., found a 'Real housewives' marathon, and settled in for the afternoon.

* * *

Pete walked into Sean's office, and Sean said, "You can stay late tonight, right?"

"Yep."

"Great. Drake's dropping off the car, we'll put it in the back, and we'll start on it tomorrow."

"Sounds good." Pete grabbed water out of Sean's mini-fridge and said, "You might have to buy a bigger garage if this goes well."

Sean smiled and said, "Already on it."

"Oh yeah?"

Sean nodded, "Look." He showed Pete his computer screen, and Pete's eyes lit up. Sean asked, "What do you think?"

"That would be perfect."

"I know. It's been for sale for a long time, and I've been thinking about it for a while."

"We can work on our famous clientele's cars in the back and away from the other cars."

"Yep."

"It's also good because it's not too far from this place, so it's not like people would have to drive across the city to find us."

Sean nodded and clicked out of the listing. "Okay. Time for me to check up on everyone's work."

"I'm all done with the Mercedes. The owner is coming to get it in about 20 minutes."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yep."

Sean pulled up the work order and printed it out.

"You should hire a full-time administrative assistant if we move into that new place."

"I probably will. There's more than enough room for an extra desk in the office."

"I have someone in mind."

Sean stood up and asked, "Oh yeah? Who?"

"My neighbor's daughter attends a local college part-time and wants to work full-time to help pay for her tuition. She's 23."

Sean nodded, "That could work. I was worried you were going to say she was 18." Pete laughed, and Sean said, "Maybe I'll hire her before we move. I could use the help."

"Yeah? I can let her know."

"See if she can come in on Monday for an interview."

"Will do."

Sean led Pete out of his office and said, "Now, let's look at that Mercedes."

* * *

Emma nodded off on the couch, and when Drew woke up from his nap, he walked down the stairs and saw his mom sleeping. He walked into the kitchen, opened the fridge, and grabbed the orange juice. He tried to be quiet but Emma stirred when she heard the fridge open. She sat up and called out to him.

"Hi, sweetie. How are you feeling?"

"A little better." He poured himself some juice, took a sip, then walked into the living room, and sat on the loveseat.

"Good."

He asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Better. I'm sorry for losing it earlier."

"I didn't mean to upset you, mom."

"You didn't." Drew nodded, and Emma asked, "Do you still feel warm?" He nodded again. "Okay. I think it's time for more Tylenol. I'll be right back."

Emma went upstairs to get the Tylenol for Drew, and his phone buzzed again. It was Maddie.

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

Drew typed back, "Better than this morning but still pretty crappy."

"Do you think you'll be out tomorrow too?"

"Yes. My mom probably wouldn't let me go in even if I feel better."

Maddie typed back, "Okay, because I was going to offer you help studying for the test tomorrow."

"Thanks. I appreciate that. Are you feeling okay?"

She wrote back, "Yes, so far. Same with Ethan."

"Well, if I did get you sick, I apologize."

Maddie smiled as she typed back, "It's Oliver's fault. He got you sick."

Drew laughed when he saw Maddie's message. He wrote back, "Good point."

"The first bell rang. Gotta go. Glad you're feeling better."

Drew finished his text conversation with Maddie and put his phone down. "Maddie and Ethan aren't sick yet."

Emma said, "That's good."

"Yeah. Maddie said she could still help me study."

"As long as she doesn't tell you exactly what was on the test."

"Mr. Del Rossi doesn't give out the same test if you're making it up."

"That's smart. Some teachers we had back in the day weren't so smart about the tests they gave. Some would even repeat the same tests year after year. If someone had an older brother or sister, they'd just use their old tests to study."

"That would be great!"

Emma laughed, "Yeah, well, those days are over."

* * *

Sean and Jay were in Sean's office at the end of the day. Sean filled Jay in on his plans to possibly buy a new place. He was showing Jay pictures on the computer screen.

"That place would be perfect. It has the perfect number of bays, and you can make one of them private for the big-name clientele."

Sean nodded, "That was my exact thought."

"I'm kind of bummed I won't be here to see it all happen."

Sean smiled, "Yeah, well, you have more important things going on."

Jay walked around Sean's desk and sat down in front of him. "And pretty soon, you'll have those same important things happening."

Sean nodded. "I told Drew he could help me with that."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yep. I want him involved as much as possible. It's been just the two of them for so long, and here I am coming in and disrupting their lives."

Jay shook his head, "That's not how it is. That kid adores you and he looks up to you. He loves you a lot."

Sean smiled, "I never knew I could feel love like that for another person. I want to protect him and make sure nothing happens to him."

"Why are you afraid that something may happen to him?"

Sean shook his head, "No reason."

Jay narrowed his eyes, "You and Emma were acting weird at his party. Something was going on."

"It's not my place to tell you what's going on."

Jay nodded, "Fine. If I figure it out on my own, will you tell me?"

Sean shook his head and chuckled, "You don't give up, do you?"

"How long have you known me?"

"Too long."

"Hilarious."

Pete knocked on Sean's door.

"Hey man, come on in. We're just waiting for the phone call."

Pete sat next to Jay and said, "Hannah can come in on Monday to interview. I just have to let her know what time."

Sean thought about it and said, "Tell her 10:30 a.m. I'd rather do it earlier in the day."

"Great."

While Pete texted Hannah, Jay asked, "Who's Hannah?"

"I'm looking for an administrative assistant to help me out. The paperwork is getting out of control, and I want more time to work on cars."

Jay nodded, then asked Pete, "Is she hot?"

Pete laughed and said, "Honestly? She's smokin'."

Jay said, "Nice."

Sean laughed, "Why is that nice? You're leaving soon."

"Not that soon and it'll be nice to have an attractive woman here. I'm sick of looking at all of you guys for hours on end."

"The feeling is mutual, Hogart."

Jay looked at Pete, "Like how smokin' are we talking?"

"She's blonde, tall, and her body is..." He paused, "Wow."

Sean shook his head, "Maybe this isn't a good idea. I don't want you guys to be distracted by a pretty girl working in the office."

Jay asked, "And you?"

"I only have eyes for Emma."

"Uh-huh. You can still look at other women."

"I don't want to."

"Yeah, okay. We'll see how that works out when this Hannah girl shows up on Monday."

Sean rolled his eyes.


	37. Chapter 37

Sean got home from work at 6:30. He told Emma he'd be home between 6:15 and 6:30 so she'd know when to start dinner. He walked into the house and smiled at Drew, who was lounging on the couch, watching T.V. "Hey, kiddo. How are you feeling?"

"Better." Drew sat up and fixed his blanket.

"Good." Sean hung up his coat and walked into the living room.

Emma called out from the kitchen, "Hey babe! How did everything go?"

"It went well. I can't wait to get to work on that car. It's an incredible piece of machinery."

Drew smiled at his dad and said, "Drake is the biggest person in the world right now, and you're working on his car. That's so cool."

Sean nodded, "I know."

"Is he nice?"

Sean smiled at Drew and said, "He seems perfectly nice. Hopefully, he'll like our work."

"He will. You're the best."

"Thanks, kiddo." Sean walked into the kitchen and kissed Emma's cheek, "Hello, beautiful."

"Hi."

Sean grabbed a beer from the fridge and asked, "Whatcha makin'?"

"Just some pasta. Nothing too crazy. Drew's having soup again. I don't want him to eat anything too heavy yet."

"Good idea." Sean sat at the island and watched Emma cook.

She raised an eyebrow and asked, "Having fun?"

Sean nodded, "I could watch you do anything."

Emma smiled, "Liar."

"How dare you." He took a sip of his beer, "How about I bring a pizza home tomorrow night?"

"Okay."

Sean watched as Emma finished their dinner.

Emma called out to Drew, "Sweetie, you want some crackers with your soup?"

"Sure." He walked over and sat next to Sean. "Dad, you look a lot better."

"Yeah?" Drew nodded, and Sean said, "Thanks."

"And you're feeling okay?"

Sean nodded, "Yep. I'm all good, I promise."

"Good."

* * *

After they all ate dinner together, Drew headed straight for the stairs. "Ugh, I'm still feeling so blah. I'm going to lie down in my bed for a while."

"Okay, sweetie." Emma felt his forehead. "You're not warm, which is good, but you still need to take some Tylenol before bed. And you're still staying home tomorrow."

Drew nodded, "I know. But if I'm better on Saturday, can I please go into work with dad?"

"Maybe."

"Ugh, mom! Come on!"

Sean laughed, "We'll see how you're feeling tomorrow night, okay?"

"Fine." Drew plodded up the stairs, and Emma giggled.

Sean shook his head, "He's so much like me at that age. I'm still shocked by it every day."

Emma walked over and sat on the couch with Sean. "I kind of lost it in front of him earlier."

He looked at her and asked, "You did? Is everything okay?"

Emma nodded, "Yeah. I had a good cry, and I'm fine now."

"What happened?"

"It was right after you left earlier. Drew said that he had the coolest dad. Sean, he had such a happy, proud look on his face, and at that moment, I just lost it because he should have had you around this whole time." She cried again, and Sean hugged her. "You guys can't get back that time together, and it's all my fault." He didn't say anything. He just let Emma cry for a few moments. She pulled away and said, "I'm sorry."

"Em, we can't change the past. Do I get sad when I think about all the time I missed with you both? Yeah, I do, but I'm thrilled to be here now. Being a dad is the best thing to ever happen to me. I just love that kid so much." She caressed her face, and he continued, "I never realized I could feel this way about another human being, you know?"

Emma nodded and smiled, "You're a wonderful father. It's like you've been doing it this whole time. You've adapted to it so easily." She shook her head, "I should have known you would."

He smiled and said, "Well, I'm a lot older now. Would I have been this good at it at 19 or 20? Probably not."

"But you still would have loved him, right?"

"I probably would have been scared right along with you, but I would have been so happy to be a dad and have a son."

Emma wiped her face, "Helping take care of Jack helped me a lot when Drew came along."

"I can imagine."

"And of course, my mom and dad helped me for a while, which was a godsend."

Sean asked, "What was their reaction when you told them you were pregnant?"

"They weren't thrilled, but I was 18, and there wasn't much they could do about it. And my parents wanted me to tell you. They knew I wouldn't have an abortion, and they didn't want me to do it alone."

"I can't believe we haven't talked about this yet, but how was the actual giving birth part?"

"Well, I pushed for a while, but he was stubborn, and they had to do a c-section."

Sean smiled, "Of course he was stubborn, just look at his parents."

Emma laughed, "Yeah. It was incredible. One minute he was in my belly, and the next, they were holding him up, showing him to me and my mom."

"I'm glad she was there with you."

"So am I, but it should have been you."

Sean nodded, then asked, "Did you know what you were having?"

Emma shook her head, "I could have, but I wanted it to be a surprise."

"And how did you come up with Andrew for a name?"

Emma shrugged, "I liked the name Drew. I thought it sounded good with Nelson, and then I figured Andrew would sound good with both Cameron and Nelson."

"It was nice of you to give him my name."

"That was the only nice thing I did back then."

"Em."

She looked down, shook her head, and said, "Sorry."

Sean leaned forward, put his finger under her chin, lifted her face, kissed her softly, then pulled away, "We have the rest of our lives to make up for lost time, okay?" Emma nodded. "I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere."

Emma smiled and said, "I love you."

"I love you too."

Emma snuggled into Sean, and they watched T.V. together until bedtime.

* * *

Sean woke up early the next morning. So early that he left the house before Emma even woke up. Sean left a note next to the bed for her explaining why. He wanted to get the shop early to start working on Drake's car as soon as possible.

When she woke up, she reached over, and Sean wasn't there. She sat and noticed the note, "Hey babe, The guys and I are starting on Drake's car early, and I didn't want to wake you. Call me if you need anything or if something happens with Drew. I love you."

Emma smiled and set the note back on the nightstand.

Meanwhile, Sean, Pete, and Jay were in Sean's office, going over the plans for Drake's car one last time.

Jay said, "We're working on the biggest person in the world's car."

Sean nodded, "Yes. So we can't screw up."

Pete shook his head, "We won't screw up. We're the best at this."

Sean smiled and said, "You're right. We are."

Jay said, "Damn straight."

Sean chuckled and stood up, "Ready?"

Pete and Jay nodded.

* * *

Emma peeked into Drew's room, and he was still asleep. She didn't want to bother him, so she went downstairs, turned on her computer then walked into the kitchen to make coffee. Emma was going to work from home again. She didn't have any showings, and the only important part of the day was the agency's quarterly meeting, but she didn't need to be in the office for that.

"Hey, mom."

Emma turned around, "Hey, kiddo. How are you feeling?"

"Better. But sore. My body is still achy."

"Okay, well, take some Tylenol. It'll help."

He nodded.

"What would you like for breakfast?"

He shook his head, "I can grab some cereal."

"Are you sure? I have no problem making you something."

Drew smiled, "I'm sure. Thanks." After he took some Tylenol and grabbed his cereal, he sat at the island. "I wonder how things are going in the shop."

Emma said, "Your dad left early this morning. He was gone before I woke up."

"Oh, wow."

She nodded, "He left a note. He just wants to make sure everything is done correctly."

"I still can't believe he's working on Drake's car. That's so cool."

Emma smiled.

* * *

Later that morning, Sean stepped away from Drake's car for a moment to call Emma. Emma smiled when she saw Sean's name pop up on her screen.

"Hey, babe."

"Hey. How's Drew feeling?"

"A little better. He's still achy, but his fever finally broke."

"Good."

Emma asked, "How are things going over there?"

Sean looked at Jay and Pete at work and said, "They're going well. I think Drake's going to like our work."

"Well, of course, he is. You're the best."

He smiled and asked, "Do you want to come here and give me that pep talk in person?"

Emma laughed, "I can text you words of encouragement all day."

"I wouldn't mind that at all."

Emma looked at the time on her computer and said, "Ooh, it's almost time for my meeting. We get to find out who the biggest seller was this quarter."

"Oh yeah? Are you in the running?"

"I'm pretty sure I am. I'm up against Miriam. We'll see what happens."

"By pulling out of bidding for that apartment probably screwed her, huh?"

Emma smiled and said, "Probably."

Sean said, "I know I should feel bad, but I don't. I hope you win."

Emma laughed.

He looked at the car and said, "Okay, I have to get back to work, so, again, good luck."

Emma laughed, "Yeah, thanks. All I get is a plaque if I win."

Sean smiled and said, "That's still pretty cool, though."

"I know."

"Alright. I love you."

"I love you."

Sean ended the call and looked at Jay, "You got any lunch plans?"

"No, why?"

"There's a jeweler I need to go see."

Jay grinned, "Atta boy."

* * *

Emma had her AirPods in and tried not to nod off during the quarterly meeting. She usually had trouble staying awake when she was actually in the office, so being at home was even worse.

Her boss Dylan said, "So it's time to reveal who our biggest seller was this quarter."

Emma rolled her eyes and waited for Miriam's name to be announced.

"It's Emma Nelson."

People began to applaud, and Emma said, "Really?"

"Yep, you were our biggest seller by far this quarter. In fact, you set a new first-quarter record for the agency, so congratulations."

"Thanks. I appreciate it." Once her boss moved on to the next item, Emma muted the call, stood up, and started dancing around the living room. Drew was making his way down the stairs when he noticed Emma dancing. He stopped, sat down in the middle of the staircase, and watched her for a few moments. When she finished, Emma sat back down, unmuted the call, and rejoined the meeting.

"So Emma, will you be on Monday?"

"Yes. My son's fever finally broke, so I'll be in on Monday."

One of her coworkers John, said, "Ugh, my 13-year-old's been sick all week. Something's definitely going around."

A bunch of her coworkers started talking about their sick kids, and Emma just wanted the call to end. She planned on opening a bottle of wine and celebrating her accomplishment.

"Mom?"

Emma turned around and smiled. She muted the call again and asked, "Hey! how are you feeling?"

"Better."

"Good. I'll only be a few more minutes."

Drew nodded and headed to the couch, "No worries." He grabbed the remote, flopped down onto the couch, and turned on the T.V. but kept it at a low volume.

* * *

Before Sean and Jay left for the jewelry store, Sean texted Manny and asked her for the picture of the ring she showed him when he was in the hospital. He wasn't going to get that exact ring, but he wanted the jeweler to make something similar for Emma. He liked the shape of the diamond but wanted to design it to be a little different than the picture.

"Should I have asked Emma if she wanted to help design the ring? It feels so old fashioned to get a ring without her having any input." Sean rolled his eyes, "Shit, and what about Drew?"

"Maybe he can help you with the proposal. As for Em, I don't think she would mind you being traditional and getting her a ring."

"I hope not."

Jay asked, "What are you willing to spend?"

"I am willing to spend as much money as I need to as long as the result is Emma saying yes and loving the ring."

"Of course she'll say yes."

Sean smiled, "I really cannot wait to be married to her, man."

"Isn't it like you're already married?"

"Yes, but I want it to be official." He asked, "Did I tell you Drew told me he wants to change his name?"

"Yeah? That's great, man!"

Sean nodded, "He's a terrific kid, and I just want to protect him all the time, you know?"

Jay asked, "What's with wanting to protect him, and why were you and Emma so caught up in what he was doing at his—" Jay stopped and smiled, "He likes that Maddie girl doesn't he."

Sean shrugged, "I'm not saying."

Jay narrowed his eyes and said, "No, you two wouldn't be reacting like that about your 14-year-old son liking a girl." He looked at Sean and asked, "Is Drew gay?"

Sean didn't want to tell Jay and break Drew's confidence, "Hogart, we don't have much time. I want to get back here to work on our project for as long as possible today."

"Fine."

Sean walked ahead of Jay, "We'll take my truck."

"Okay, boss, man."

* * *

Emma's meeting was about to end when Dylan asked her to stay on the call. He waited for everyone else to leave the call and leave the conference room, then said, "I just wanted to repeat congratulations for all your hard work this quarter."

"Thanks, Dylan. I appreciate it."

"Locking up the Indian Road house helped put you over the top."

"I figured as much."

"Anyway, the big bosses were very impressed with your work this quarter, and now they expect this level of production from you all the time."

"Well, I will certainly try to live up to their expectations."

"Sounds good. So other than Drew, everything's okay?"

"Yep. I'll probably be in the office tomorrow morning to file some stuff. Drew, if he's feeling better, is going to work with his dad."

"And Sean is okay?"

"Yes, thank goodness."

"Good. So this is a good week for you, besides Drew being sick."

Emma smiled, "Yes. I'm looking forward to getting my plaque."

"Well, you're getting two since you broke the record."

She laughed and said, "Even better!"

"I'd better go. I have some work to finish up, and then I am heading out for the weekend. Leaving the kids with their grandparents and going on the train to Montreal with my wife."

"That sounds nice."

"Yeah, so I won't be in on Monday or Tuesday."

"Well, have fun and tell me how it is when you get back. I've always wanted to go to Montreal."

"Will do."

Emma hung up, turned around, and smiled at Drew.

He asked, "So what happened?"

"Not only did I sell the most this quarter, but I set a record for the agency."

"Wow, mom, that's amazing!"

Emma nodded, "I know! So I'm getting two plaques instead of one, and I wasn't even expecting the first one!"

Drew asked, "You love doing real estate, don't you?"

"I do. Selling houses was not what I was expecting to do with my life at all, but it turns out, I'm pretty good at it."

Drew smiled at his mom and said, "When you're done with work, we can watch HGTV together."

"Oh yeah? You wouldn't mind doing that?"

Drew shook his head, "Maybe I'll get some ideas for my room."

Emma smiled and said, "Give me about ten more minutes."

"Okay."

* * *

Sean walked into the jewelry store and became anxious. Just over a month ago, he didn't know he had a son, and now he was in a jewelry store looking for a ring to give to Emma. "Holy shit, this is happening."

"Having second thoughts, Cameron?"

"No, not at all. Being here just makes it real." They walked over to a display, and Sean looked down at the rings. "These are beautiful, wow."

An older gentleman with gray hair, glasses, and a mustache walked over and asked, "May I help you?"

"Yes. I am looking to buy an engagement ring, but I think I'd like to design something rather than buy an already-made ring."

The jeweler smiled and said, "What did you have in mind?"

Sean took out his phone and opened the picture Manny sent him, "Something like this."

The jeweler grabbed Sean's phone, inspected the picture, nodded, and said, "We can do something like this. How much are you willing to spend?"

Sean thought about it for a moment and said, "$10,000."

Jay said, "Holy shit, dude."

Sean turned to him and asked, "What?"

"That's a lot of money for a ring."

"Emma deserves a beautiful ring." He looked at the jeweler and said, "That's my limit, not my minimum."

The jeweler nodded and said, "I understand. We can design something like this for a lot less than that."

"Perfect."

Jay looked at the jeweler and said, "So you're not going to gouge him?"

The jeweler laughed and said, "If your friend likes how I do the engagement ring maybe he'll want to have us to the wedding bands as well."

Jay nodded, "Smart man."

The jeweler winked at him and Sean laughed.

* * *

Drew and Emma were watching T.V. when Drew asked, "So are you going to get a promotion?"

Emma shook her head and said, "I don't think I'd want one. I'd have to be in charge of other people, and I like working for myself."

Drew nodded, "It's a good thing that both you and dad are good at your jobs. Maybe I will be when I'm older."

She smiled and said, "I'm sure you will be, sweetie."

"Maybe I'll work with dad then take over when he retires."

"He would probably love that."

Drew asked, "So, you wouldn't be disappointed if I didn't want to go away to school?"

"I didn't go away to school, and your dad didn't go away to school. You don't need to go to university to be a success."

Drew nodded. His phone buzzed, and he turned it over. "Oliver's at school today."

"Oh yeah?"

Drew typed back, "Is it good to be back?" with a wink emoji. Drew knows that Oliver was probably hoping he wouldn't have to go back to Degrassi until Monday. Oliver texted back right away with an eye roll emoji. Drew smiled.

Emma watched as Drew texted Oliver, and she smiled. While she was afraid Oliver might break Drew's heart, it still made her happy to see Drew this giddy over someone. She wasn't sure it would ever happen.

"Why are you looking at me like that, mom?"

"No reason."

Drew rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah, right."

"You really have to stop doing that. I'm having flashbacks to your father constantly rolling his eyes in eighth grade."


	38. Chapter 38

Sean looked at the drawing the jeweler gave to him, nodded, and smiled, "This is it." He inspected it some more and said, "Yep. This is perfect."

"Wonderful!" The jeweler took the drawing and said, "That was easy. I'll make a copy for you, and if you feel like you need to make any changes, just let me know before Monday evening."

"Will do." Sean asked, "So how long will it take to make?"

"Generally, it takes about two weeks to make a custom ring."

"Okay, great." Sean took a deep breath, "Wow, I'm doing this."

Jay laughed and pat Sean on the back, "She's going to love it, man."

Sean nodded, "Now, I just have to come up with a proposal plan."

The jeweler smiled and said, "I'm sure you'll come up with something nice."

Sean smiled and took a deep breath.

Meanwhile, at the house, Emma stood up and said, "I'm in the mood for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Would you like one too?"

Drew shrugged and said, "Sure."

"Okay. I will be right back."

While Emma went into the kitchen to make the sandwiches for herself and Drew, Drew continued texting with Oliver.

"Btw, my mom found the White Claws cans in my room and got pissed at me." Drew read the message and cringed. Then Oliver texted, "But you're still allowed to come to the sleepover for my birthday." Drew exhaled and smiled. He looked forward to Oliver's birthday sleepover. He was just hoping Oliver's mom wouldn't call Emma and tell her about the White Claw. Drew didn't even realize it was an alcoholic drink until it was too late.

He wrote back to Oliver, "Your mom isn't going to tell my mom, is she? I really can't get in trouble this weekend."

Oliver wrote back, "Nah, You're fine. I promised her we'd never do it again."

Emma walked back in with the sandwiches, "Here you go, sweetie."

"Thanks, mom." He turned his phone over and grabbed his plate.

Emma sat down and asked, "So, how are you feeling?"

"I'd say I'm about 90%."

"That's great! Maybe you'll be able to go with your father to work after all."

Drew smiled, "I hope so. I want to learn more about fixing cars."

Emma smiled at her son, then took a bite of her sandwich. She nodded and said, "Oh yeah. That hit the spot."

Drew laughed, and he and Emma ate their lunch together.

* * *

When Sean and Jay returned from their trip to the jewelry store, Jay was filling in Pete on what happened. Sean took the printout of the drawing of Emma's ring, looked at it one last time then put it into his wallet. Jay told Pete about how much the ring cost, and Sean shook his head laughing.

Pete whistled. "Wow."

Sean said, "Look, I intend for this to be the only time I'm ever engaged, so I want it to be special for Emma."

Pete held up his hands and said, "I get it. I really do. And if I had someone in my life that I loved as much as you love Emma, I'd probably do the same thing."

Jay joked and said, "I think we may need to help the boss man come up with a good proposal plan."

Sean laughed, "Oh yeah?"

Jay nodded, "Yeah."

"You don't think I can come up with something on my own?"

"I think you can, but I think you'd prefer it if you had some help."

"Well, we all can't be like you and do it on a whim."

Pete laughed, "I still can't believe you proposed to your girl in Sean's hospital room."

Sean chimed in and said, "And without a ring."

Jay shook his head, "It's your son's fault."

Sean laughed and said, "Hey, don't blame my kid."

Jay looked at Sean and said, "Seriously, Drew's a good kid, but he did have a lot to do with why I proposed. He pointed out that we were wasting time."

Sean nodded, "He's pretty observant."

"He certainly is." Jay smiled at Sean and said, "You're a great dad."

"Thanks."

"And I'm not surprised at all. I always knew you would be."

"Oh?"

Jay nodded, "Yeah. I figured you'd learn from the mistakes you made as a teenager."

"Oh, I did." Sean shook his head, "I told Drew everything."

"You did?"

Sean nodded, "And he said he's still proud to be my son."

Jay smiled and asked, "Does he hate me now?"

Sean laughed and said, "No! Of course not." He grabbed a wrench and asked, "And how about you? Are you looking forward to being a dad?"

"I am. I mean, I don't know how soon that's going to happen with Manny and her career."

Sean nodded.

"But, I'll wait."

Sean smiled and said, "Okay, let's stop yapping and get as much work done on this car as we can today. I want it done by Monday afternoon."

Jay saluted Sean and said, "Aye aye, captain."

* * *

Emma sat at her computer and went through her work emails. When she finished, she turned to Drew and said, "I want you to do some of your work tonight."

Drew sighed.

"If you're going to your dad's tomorrow, then going to IKEA and then putting everything together and moving into your new room on Sunday, you'll be too exhausted to do everything Sunday night."

Drew's eyes lit up, "So I can go to work with dad tomorrow?"

"You seem to be feeling well enough to go, so yes, you can go."

He walked over to her and hugged her, "Thank you, mom!"

"You're welcome, kiddo."

He pulled away and said, "I'm so excited!"

Emma smiled, "I'm glad."

"Well, what are you waiting for? Text him and tell him!"

"Okay! Okay..." Emma grabbed her phone and texted Sean, "I'm allowing our son to accompany you to work tomorrow." She sent the text and waited for Sean's response. She said to Drew, "I told him."

"Good." Drew smiled, "I will do my work tonight."

Emma laughed, "Well, you don't have to do _all_ of it. I just want to make sure you don't wait until the last minute. Plus, you have Mr. Del Rossi's make up test to worry about."

Drew cringed and said, "I nearly forgot about that. I would have taken the real test already by now if I were in school." Drew picked up his phone and texted Maddie, "I'm going to text Maddie and see how she thought it was."

"You read the book. You should be fine."

"I know, but I still want to know how it went."

Maddie felt her phone buzz and grabbed it out of her bag. She smiled when she saw Drew's message. She wrote back, "If you read the book, you'll have no problem with the test, but if you still need me to help, I can come over this weekend."

Drew said to Emma, "Maddie offered to help me, but she also said that if I read the book, I'll know what I'm doing."

"I'm perfectly fine with Maddie coming over. She can come over Sunday for dinner if you want."

"Okay, cool." Drew texted her back and waited for her response.

"And things are still okay with you two?"

"Yes, mom. Everything's fine."

Emma smiled, "Good."

* * *

Sean was so busy he didn't feel his phone vibrate in his pocket, so he didn't see Emma's message until nearly an hour after she said it. "Shit." He typed back, "Sorry, I was so busy working on the car. I didn't even feel my phone vibrate. Tell Drew I'm excited that he's coming into work with me." He looked at Jay, "Drew is coming in tomorrow. He's well enough to leave the house."

"Good!"

Sean smiled, "Yeah, I'm glad. He would have been so bummed if he couldn't make it in."

"Maybe you can fill him in on your plans with Emma's ring."

Sean nodded, "Yep. I will. After work. we're all going to IKEA after work so he can pick out new furniture for his new room and so Emma can get some organizational stuff for our closet."

Jay looked at Pete, "Sean and Emma are giving Drew the basement."

"Not the _whole_ basement."

Jay scoffed, "Oh, please, he's going to have the run of that basement, and you know it."

Sean chuckled, 'You're right. But he's 14 now, and he doesn't always want to be around his parents."

"That's a great room."

"Oh, I know."

Jay asked, "Have we both had sex in that room?"

Sean laughed, "Yes."

Pete said, "Well, at least it wasn't at the same time."

Sean and Jay both shuddered at the thought of having sex at the time in the same room and went back to work. Pete just laughed.

* * *

Just before 4:30, Archie knocked on the front door to Emma's house, and Emma got up to answer the door.

When she opened the door, he smiled and said, "Hello!" Emma laughed at him, and he asked, "Why are you laughing at me?"

Emma let him inside and said, "You're just so chipper."

"Can you blame me? It's Friday, and my work is done for the week."

"Okay, I can see why you're so happy."

Archie looked at Drew and said, "Hello, kiddo."

"Hi, grandpa." Drew walked over to him, and Archie handed him his folder of work.

"You look a lot better."

"I feel a lot better." Drew thumbed through it, "This doesn't look too bad."

"It's not. And Mr. Perino said that since you and Oliver were both sick this week, you don't have to do your presentation until next Thursday, so you'll have plenty of time to work on it together."

Drew didn't want to seem too happy about that in front of his grandpa, so he just nodded and said, "Cool."

Archie stayed for a few minutes. Emma told him about her work news, and he was very excited, "Em, that's great!"

Emma nodded, "Yeah, I know, but now they're going to expect that level of performance all the time."

Archie smiled and said, "You can do it." He looked at Drew, "So, you're going to work with your dad tomorrow?"

Drew nodded, "Yes, and I get to see Drake's car in person!"

Archie shook his head then looked at Emma, "Did you ever notice that Drake looks a lot like Jimmy Brooks?"

"It's funny you said that. Jimmy and his wife are clients of mine."

"Really? That is pretty funny. How's he doing?"

"He's doing well enough to be looking at $7 million houses with elevators."

Archie whistled. "Wow."

Emma nodded, "I know."

After Archie left, Emma said to Drew, "Your father is supposed to be bringing home pizza for dinner tonight. Is that okay?"

Drew nodded, "Perfect."

"Let me text him and remind him. I know he's been busy all day, and I wouldn't be surprised if he forgot that he offered to do this."

Sean's phone vibrated, and he looked at Emma's message. He did forget about the pizza. And he admitted it to her in his first text, and then immediately followed it up with a second text that asked what kind of pizza they wanted.

Emma texted back, "The usual."

Sean smiled and wrote back, "Okay. I should be home by 6:30. I'll let you know if I'm running late."

Emma looked at Sean's message and wrote back, "Sounds good. I love you."

"I love you too." Sean put his phone away and said, "I adore that woman."

Jay smiled.

"I think I'll pick up some flowers with dinner tonight."

"Speaking of flowers, what kind of wedding does Em want?"

"She said she keeps changing her mind. I said I don't care. I'll show up wherever she wants me."

"I think you should go all out and have a big bash."

Sean raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"

"Come on. It's Sean and Emma. People have been waiting for this for decades."

Sean laughed and said, "Oh, whatever. Get back to work."

* * *

Emma and Drew were at Emma's computer, looking at the IKEA site together.

"How about this?"

Drew looked at the desk and nodded, "I like that. Maybe I can get it in gray."

Emma nodded, "Yep, it comes in gray."

"I'll want to look at it first and see if it works for me, but that's pretty cool."

Emma smiled, clicked her mouse a couple of times, and said, "And how about this? It looks like it holds a lot. It comes in the same color as the desk."

'That's perfect."

"I think I want to turn your current room into an exercise room."

"Not an office?"

"Nah, I can do that with the front room."

Drew asked, "Don't you and dad want more kids?"

Emma smiled and said, 'Yes, we do."

"Well, then don't you need a bedroom?"

"We can turn the middle room into a nursery if we need to. And I can turn the front room into a guest room slash office. We'll just move the stuff from the basement into that room."

"Mom, I have to tell you something."

Emma turned to him and said, "Okay, what's up?"

"When I was at Oliver's the other day, I drank a White Claw. I honestly didn't even know it was an alcoholic drink until I started feeling a little funny. I didn't even finish it."

Emma smiled and said, "I'm glad you told me."

Drew nodded, "It wasn't even that good."

Emma laughed and said, "Yeah, well, alcohol can be that way."

"So am I going to be in trouble?"

"No, but if you do drink again because you're a teenager and I know teenagers drink." Emma shook her head and said, "Lord knows I did a couple of times. Anyway, just be careful and call me so I can pick you up. And never go by yourself somewhere. Okay?"

Drew nodded, "Okay."

"I drank one time so much, I puked into a wastebasket, and your dad had to hold back my hair."

"Oh yeah?"

Emma nodded, "It wasn't a good night for many reasons. One of our friends died that night."

Drew said, "Whoa."

"Yep. For no good reason. Just some guy from a rival school who decided to stab him in the back."

"Did you see it happen?"

Emma shook her head, "No, but we were all at the hospital waiting for news on him, and when they told us he was gone, it was such a shock."

"I can imagine."

"It was awful. It was our friend J.T."

"Wait, J.T. Yorke?"

"Oh right, the memorial garden." Emma couldn't believe she forgot, "I'm glad it's still there."

Drew shook his head, "You guys went through a lot at Degrassi with the shooting and J.T.'s death."

Emma nodded, "We did."

"I'm glad I haven't gone through anything like that."

"And let's hope you never will."

* * *

When Sean finished for the day, he called Emma.

She smiled when she saw it was Sean. "Hey, babe."

"Hello, beautiful. I'm all done with work. I called the pizza place so I can go straight there and pick up dinner."

"Oh, good."

Sean asked, "Do you need anything else while I'm out?"

"No, we're all good here."

"Okay, I'll be home soon."

"See ya then."

Emma ended the phone and said, "Dad's on the way."

"Good. I'm going to take a quick shower."

"Okay, kiddo."

Drew went up to his room and looked around. He smiled because this would be the last weekend in his childhood room. On Sunday, he'd be going into his cool, grown-up room.

Emma got the bottle of wine that she had wanted to open all day and finally cracked it open. She was going to celebrate her sales record and have wine with her dinner and maybe some more after dinner.

Sean arrived home just as Drew was making his way down the stairs. "Hey, dad!"

"Hey, kiddo. You look a lot better."

Drew nodded, "I feel so much better."

"Good."

"Here, I'll take that." He grabbed the pizza box and the bag on top of it.

Sean held the flowers he bought behind his back, "I got us some garlic knots too. I hope that's okay."

Emma walked over to him and smiled, "Yes. It's okay." She kissed him and pulled away, "Hi."

"Hello. I take it you got good news today?"

Emma nodded, "Not only did I finish with the highest numbers of the quarter, but I set a record for the agency."

"Babe, that's amazing!" Sean hugged her, then pulled away, "So it's a good thing I got you these then, huh?"

He held out a small bouquet of flowers. "Sean, these are beautiful, thank you."

"You're welcome. Anyway, we need to celebrate your news!"

Emma smiled and said, "Oh, we are. I already opened some wine." She grabbed him by the hand and walked Sean toward the table. "Sit."

"Let me wash up first." He kissed her nose. "And then I'll be all set."

"Okay."

Sean walked into the powder room and washed his hands.

Emma asked, "So, how did today go?" Emma put the flowers in some water.

"It went well." Sean walked out and over to the kitchen island. "We got a lot of work done. I'm hoping to finish by Monday."

Drew asked, "So will I be watching you work on Drake's car tomorrow?"

"Yes, you will."

"Cool!"

Emma asked, "So would you like some wine with your dinner?"

Sean smiled, "Yes, please."

They got their pizza and drinks and sat down at the dining room table.

Sean raised his glass and looked at Drew, "Let's toast to your mother." Drew raised his pop, and Emma raised her glass of wine. Sean said, "To the best real estate agent in Toronto."

Emma chuckled, "I don't know about that."

"To the best real estate agent in this neighborhood."

"Okay, that I can believe." They all toasted, and Emma smiled, "I'm so glad I have you both in my life."

Sean reached over, placed his hand on hers, and winked at her.

Drew said, "I feel the same way about you guys." He looked at Sean and said, "I'm glad we've gotten to know each other. You're the coolest dad ever."

Sean laughed, "Yeah, well, I've only been doing it a month." He raised an eyebrow and said, "I'm sure there will be bumps in the road in the future."

"Well, you're definitely cooler than any of my friends' dads."

"Thank you." He looked at Drew and Emma and smiled, "My life has improved exponentially since you both came into my life."

Emma smiled and rubbed his hand.

He looked at Drew and said, "I am proud to be your dad."

Drew smiled then asked, "So when are you two getting married?"

"Well, there's that whole proposal thing that needs to happen first."

Emma shrugged and said, "We don't have to do that if you don't want to."

"Oh, I want to."

"Okay, just don't go too crazy. It's just me."

Sean scoffed, "Just you? You're the love of my life, Em. And I want to do everything properly." Emma smiled. "I'm serious."

"I know you are."

After a few moments of quiet, Drew asked, "Do you think I'll ever find someone who will love me like you love each other?"

Sean looked at Emma then looked at Drew and said, "I'm not going to make any guarantees because you never know what will happen, but I will say that I hope you do because it's the best feeling in the world to know that you have someone who will walk to the end of the earth with you."

Drew nodded.

Emma smiled and squeezed Sean's hand.

"Oh, so dad, mom wants to turn my room into a workout room."

Sean looked at Emma, "Oh yeah?"

"Yep. I figured I could buy a Peloton bike, you could put some weights in there for you, and there will still be room for me to do some yoga."

"You do yoga?"

"I've been slacking off in recent weeks, but yes, I do."

"That sounds cool. Where will you have your office?"

"I figured the front room is bigger so it can be an office and a guest room. I'd love to put a murphy bed in there eventually. For now, we'll just move Drew's current bed in there."

Sean laughed, "We're going to be moving and putting together a lot of stuff this weekend, huh?"

Emma nodded.

"Maybe I'll see if Jay can come over and help on Sunday. I'll pay him in beer or something."

"Good idea."


	39. Chapter 39

After a pleasant family dinner, Drew excused himself from the table. "I should get started on my work for the weekend."

Emma smiled, "Okay, sweetie. Let us know if you need any help."

They all got up from the table, and Drew turned back to his parents. "I will." He looked at Sean and said, "I'm excited about tomorrow."

Sean stood up and smiled, "I am too, kiddo. It'll be great."

Drew headed upstairs, and Sean wrapped his arm around Emma's waist. "I really do love that kid."

Emma turned to him and kissed him, "He really loves you too."

"And you?"

"I really really love you."

Sean laughed, kissed her quickly, and asked, "So, what would you like to do?"

She turned to him and said, "I would like to relax on the couch with you and watch T.V. for a while. But first, I need to put these dishes in the dishwasher."

"I'll help."

Sean and Emma grabbed the plates and glasses and walked over to the dishwasher. Emma opened it, and Sean handed her everything. "Thanks for helping."

"Might as well make myself useful."

Emma smiled and kissed him. "You are always useful."

They walked hand-in-hand into the living room and over to the couch. Sean sat first, and Emma curled up against him. He asked, "Are you still under the weather?"

Emma laughed, "Yes, but it's winding down. I should be free and clear by Sunday."

"Oh, good."

She smiled and said, "I could always help you out in the meantime, you know."

Sean laughed, "That's okay."

She asked, "Are you sure? Because I don't mind."

"I know you don't." He held her hand and said, "I can survive without sex for a few more days. I'm not a horny teenage boy anymore."

"No," She caressed his face, "You're not."

Sean kissed Emma, pulled away, and said, "Sometimes I can't believe this is all happening."

"Me neither."

"I see you and I see our son every day and I still think I'm going to wake up and it will all be a dream."

"It's not a dream. It's all real and we couldn't be happier that you're here with us, Sean." Sean smiled and kissed Emma again. When they pulled away she smiled and said, "I'll make sure we have fun on Sunday night."

Sean said, "We may be too tired to do anything on Sunday night."

Emma nodded and said, "Ooh, right. Moving day. Monday morning?"

"It's a date."

"I can't wait."

Emma turned on the T.V., and after a few moments of watching another home improvement show, Sean asked, "So how come you don't watch those Housewives shows in front of me?"

She turned to him and said, "Drew told you, huh?"

Sean smiled, "Babe, it's fine if you want to watch them. We don't _always_ have to watch HGTV."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Even though I think I could probably flip an entire house now."

Emma joked and said, "The housewives flip tables instead of houses." Sean laughed and Emma changed the channel, "They're my guilty pleasure."

"I've seen them while flipping through the channels on weekends. It just seems like it's a lot of yelling and so much plastic surgery."

Emma laughed and said, "Pretty much. They're just so always made up. They're never without their fake lashes, they're always wearing tons of eye makeup, their hair is always perfect, and they're always decked out in fancy clothes. Especially the ones in Beverly Hills. Honestly, I can't imagine wearing that much makeup every day."

"Well, you're lucky. You look beautiful without makeup." Emma scoffed, and Sean said, "You do."

"You always know what to say."

"It's the truth."

About 20 minutes later, while two of the housewives were screaming at each other onscreen, Drew peeked down the stairs and asked, "Hey dad, can you come up here for a sec?"

"Sure, buddy." Sean got up and walked over to the stairs.

Emma said, "I wonder what he wants."

Sean laughed and said, "I hope he doesn't need help with his math homework." Emma giggled, and Sean walked up the stairs. When he got to Drew's doorway, he asked, "What's up, kiddo?"

"What time are we heading to the garage tomorrow?"

"Early. Be ready by 7:45."

"Okay."

Sean cocked his head to the side and asked, "Is that all you wanted?"

"No."

Sean walked over toward Drew's bed, sat down at the foot of it, and said, "What's going on?"

"I'm taking a break from work and wanted to show you what I want to get for my room."

"Oh!" Sean leaned forward to look at Drew's computer screen. "It'll be good to know in advance just how much time I'll be spending putting things together."

"I can help you."

"I'm counting on that." Sean smiled and said, "Remind me to bring some tools home tomorrow."

Drew nodded, "I will."

After Drew showed Sean everything he wanted, Sean said, "It just so happens I have something to show you as well."

"Oh yeah?"

Sean nodded, "Yep." He took out his wallet and gave Drew the folded up drawing of Emma's ring. "Here."

Drew opened it up, examined the picture, and he asked, "Is this what I think it is?"

"It is."

"Wow," Drew smiled, "This is amazing, dad."

Sean asked, "So, you think she'll like it?"

Drew nodded, "I think she'll love it."

"I'm getting it custom-made, so it won't be ready for at least two weeks, which gives me plenty of time to come up with a proposal plan."

Drew said, "Lucky for you, I'm sleeping over at Oliver's in a couple of weeks, so you'll have the house to yourselves."

Drew handed the picture back to Sean, and Sean put it back into his wallet. "By the way, if you have any ideas, let me know."

"I'm sure whatever you do will be great, dad."

Sean took a deep breath and said, "You know, I'm a little more nervous about this than I thought I'd be."

"Why? Mom's going to say yes."

"Oh, I'm not worried about _that_. I just want to make everything perfect for her."

Drew nodded and said, "You will. I know it."

"Thanks, kiddo. You always know the right thing to say."

Drew sighed and said, "Not always."

"What's wrong?"

He shrugged, "I just... I don't know. I hate liking someone and not knowing if they return the feelings, you know?"

Sean nodded, "I know."

"Sometimes, I just want to tell Oliver how I feel and get it over with."

Sean asked, "And other times?"

"I never want to tell him. Ever. And I want to forget I ever liked him."

"Easier said than done, kiddo."

Drew nodded, "I know. I just don't want this to ruin our friendship."

Sean nodded, then said, "Look, we're going to have a good weekend. You're coming to the shop. You're going to see Drake's _insane_ whip." Drew smiled. "We're going to IKEA and picking out cool stuff for your new room. You're moving into your new room." Drew nodded and Sean said, "So don't stress about Oliver so much, okay?"

Drew nodded again and smiled, "Okay."

Sean smiled and said, "I'll leave you to your work." He stood up and walked over to Drew's door.

"Thanks, dad."

"You're welcome."

* * *

Later that night, Sean and Emma were in their room, getting ready for bed when Sean looked at her.

"Yes?"

"Those housewives are out of control." Emma laughed and threw a pillow at him. Sean caught it and smiled, "I'm serious! But I can see why you watch it. It is entertaining."

"See?"

Sean handed the pillow back to her and climbed into the bed. "Yes. Just don't make me watch Keeping Up With The Kardashians."

"How do you even know about it?"

"I was home one Sunday, flipping through the channels, and I put it on to make fun of them then ended watching about six hours of it."

Emma laughed and asked, "Are you serious?"

Sean nodded, "It was a dark day."

Emma put the last pillow into her cabinet and climbed into the bed, shut off her lamp, and snuggled next to Sean. "I'm glad it's the weekend, and I'm glad Drew is feeling better."

"Me too. I'm excited to take him into work tomorrow."

"And he's excited to go in with you."

Sean smiled and kissed her hair.

Emma asked, "Wanna talk until we fall asleep?"

"Sure."

"Okay."

"I'll start. I love being here with you and Drew. I feel like my life is finally complete."

Emma looked at him and smiled, "Yeah?"

"Well, okay, not yet because it won't be complete until we're married and legally a family, but it's pretty damn close."

"I know. I keep changing my mind, but I think I want to have a big wedding."

"Yeah?"

Emma nodded, "Yes."

"Where would you want to do it?"

"I don't know yet, but I want to wear a nice dress and walk down the aisle, say my vows to you in front of our friends and family." Sean laced his fingers with Emma and kissed her hand. "And then I want the minister or whoever is performing the ceremony to say, 'I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride,' and then we'll kiss for, oh, I don't know, five minutes and we'll officially be Mr. and Mrs. Sean and Emma Cameron."

"Five minutes, huh?"

Emma laughed, "Okay, maybe two minutes."

"I'd love that."

She asked, "So you wouldn't mind a big wedding?"

"Nope. I already told you I'd do whatever you want me to do."

"I just can't wait to see you all dressed up in a tuxedo."

He smiled and said, "You know I'll probably cry as soon as I see you walking down the aisle."

"You think so?"

Sean nodded and said, "I know so. I'll probably be emotional during the entire ceremony."

Emma kissed him and smiled, "Me too."

"And with our son being my best man. It'll just be a full-on crying fest."

Emma laughed, "I'll be sure to wear waterproof mascara."

"Speaking of our son, this stuff with Oliver is weighing heavily on his mind and I tried to get him to forget about it. At least for the weekend."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I told him to focus on how great this weekend is going to be. He seemed to listen to me."

Emma sighed, "I just don't want him to get hurt."

"Neither do I."

"But there's a strong possibility of it happening."

Sean nodded, "I know."

"We're so lucky to have you here with us now."

Sean smiled, "Thank you."

"I mean it. You're a great father, and you always seem to know the right things to say to our son."

"Well, I just think back to how I was at that age and think about what I would and what I wouldn't want to hear."

Emma smiled and kissed him, "You're amazing."

"No, you're amazing."

Emma shook her head, kissed him again, then said, "No, _you're_ amazing."

* * *

The next morning, Drew woke up at 7 and headed straight for the shower. Sean smiled when he heard the water running on the second floor. He had gotten up at 6:30 and showered right away, so he was already dressed and ready for work.

Emma stirred and opened her eyes, "Hey."

"Hey, beautiful."

She sat up and stretched, "What time is it?"

"It's a little after 7."

Emma groaned, laid back down, and hugged her pillow, "It's too early to be up on a Saturday."

Sean laughed, "Go back to sleep."

"You don't want breakfast?"

"We can pick something up on the way." He kissed her head, "Seriously, go back to sleep, okay?"

She smiled, closed her eyes, and said, "Okay. I love you."

"I love you too."

Sean grabbed his wallet, his phone, and he walked down to the main level. He made some coffee for himself, and he waited for Drew to come downstairs. Sean was looking through his phone and nearly done with his coffee when he heard Drew's footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Hey, buddy."

"Hey."

Sean asked, "So are you excited about today?"

Drew barely mumbled, "Yes."

Sean laughed, "You don't sound very excited."

"I think I might still be asleep."

Sean stood up, "Oh, okay." He grabbed his cup of coffee and asked, "Are you all set?"

Drew nodded.

"Cool. We'll go to Tim Horton's first, pick up some breakfast for you, and get some TimBits for the guys." Sean grabbed his jacket, opened the front door, and let Drew walk out in front of him. He couldn't help but smile at his half-asleep teenage son dragging his feet along the concrete walkway.

* * *

After going to Tim Horton's, Sean pulled up to the shop, shut off his truck, and looked at Drew. He asked, "Are you awake now, kiddo?"

Drew laughed, "Yes."

They got out of the truck and walked up to the shop. Sean unlocked the door to the shop and let Drew inside. After Sean closed the front door, he turned on all the lights in the lobby of the shop then walked toward his office. Drew walked ahead of him and looked around the shop for Drake's car. Sean smiled and said, "It's in the back."

Drew blushed, "Oh, okay."

"Don't worry. You'll see it soon enough." Sean opened his office door and walked over to his desk. "Shit, I forgot the TimBits. Be right back." Sean jogged out to his truck and grabbed the TimBits from the backseat of his truck. When he walked back into his office, Drew was sitting at the desk and already eating his breakfast. "By the way, I didn't mean to say that word. I meant to say shoot."

Drew laughed, "Dad, I've heard people use that word before."

"I know, but I shouldn't talk that way in front of you. Not yet, anyway." He sat down, looked at Drew, and watched as Drew ate his breakfast. Sean smiled proudly at his son and started his work for the day. He turned on his computer and said, "I wanted to get in a little early so I could finish up some paperwork."

Drew nodded, "Okay."

"Plus, if I finish it now, we can leave here on time and head to IKEA."

"We're picking up mom first though, right?"

Sean nodded, "Yes. And we'll take my truck so we can just load everything into the back."

"Cool."

"Hey, bossman." Pete peeked into Sean's office, "Hey, Drew!"

Drew answered with a slightly unenthusiastic, "Hi."

Sean joked, "He's still a little tired."

Pete laughed and said, "Yeah, me too."

Sean laughed and pointed at the box of donuts on his desk, "Here, I got some TimBits for the guys."

"Cool." Pete walked over and grabbed the box. "I'll put it in the shop. I got myself a greasy bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich from a place around the corner from my house."

"That sounds good."

"It is. I didn't want to finish it."

Sean smiled and said, "Ah it was one of those sandwiches, huh?"

Pete nodded.

Drew asked, "Was it the kind of sandwich that is so good it makes you sad to get the last bite?"

Pete nodded again and said, "Exactly. I almost bought a second one but decided against it."

Sean laughed and said, "Yeah that's a little too much cholesterol for one morning." He looked at his screen and said, "I just have a couple of work orders to look through, and then we'll be ready to get to work."

Pete looked at Drew and asked, "Are you going to help us with Drake's whip?"

Drew shook his head, "No way. I'll just watch you guys. I don't want to screw up anything."

Sean smiled, "You won't screw anything up. We'll tell you exactly what to do."

Drew smiled at his dad and said, "Okay."

* * *

Emma woke up for the day around 8:45. She texted Sean and said, "Hope everything is going okay."

Sean, who was busy inside Drake's car, felt his phone vibrate. He pulled it out, looked at Emma's message, and smiled. He wrote back, "Everything's great. We should be getting out of here on time, but I'll let you know if anything changes."

Emma wrote back, "Okay." She got out of bed, walked downstairs, and made herself some coffee. She planned on going into the office for an hour or two to go through her paperwork and work on any new listing that have come her way.

Sean put his phone away and got back to work on Drake's car. He showed Drew everything he was doing. Drew sat in awe as he watched Sean, Pete, and Jay transform Drake's car.

"Wow."

Sean smiled and said, "Looks good, right?"

Drew nodded, "It does. When do you think you'll be done?"

Jay said, "Hopefully, by Monday evening."

"Yep. Oh, by the way, Hogart, you have plans tomorrow."

"I do?"

Sean nodded, "You do. You're helping me and Drew move some furniture."

"Oh! Okay."

Drew asked, "You mean you'll do it?"

"As long as there's some beer involved, sure!"

Sean shook his head and smiled. He knew it wouldn't take much for Jay to say yes.

Drew said, "Cool, thanks!"

"You're so lucky having that whole basement to yourself." Jay looked at Sean and said, "Soon, he'll be sneaking girls down there." Sean and Drew shared a look, and Jay asked, "What?"

Drew shook his head, "Nothing."

"You're not interested in any girls at Degrassi?"

"Not really."

Jay smiled and said, "The girl that was at your party was pretty cute."

"Maddie?" Jay nodded and Drew said, "She has a crush on me, but I don't like her in that way. I like being friends with her."

"I see." Jay looked at Sean, who was looking at Jay, "You have plenty of time for that. I mean, we can't all be like your dad and know who the love of your life is at 13."

Sean laughed, "Yeah, it took Jay a little longer than that."

Drew didn't say anything.

Sean asked, "Is everything okay, kiddo?"

He nodded.

Jay said, "Drew, I was just kidding around with you."

"I know. It's just that—" He stopped himself and looked at Sean, who smiled at his son. Drew took a deep breath and said to Jay, "I don't like girls."

Jay looked at Sean first. Sean nodded then Jay looked at Drew and smiled, "So have any guys caught your eye?"

"Maybe."

"But you haven't told him."

"God, no. I don't want him to hate me."

Jay nodded, "So you don't think he likes you in that way?"

"I have no idea, and it sucks."

"Yeah, like sometimes you get mixed signals, or you mistake a gesture of friendship for something more. It's all the same, you know. With boys and with girls." Jay smiled, "Love is a battlefield, kiddo."

Sean laughed and said, "Okay, Pat Benatar."

Drew asked, "Who's that?"

Pete laughed and said, "God, we're so old."

Drew looked at Jay and asked, "So you don't think any less of me?"

Jay scoffed, "Are you kidding? I think you're brave. You should probably be in our wedding party since you're the one who convinced me to propose to Manny."

"Really?"

Jay nodded, "Yeah! You can be a groomsman, and your dad will be my best man."

"That'll be so cool!"

Sean winked at Jay, and Jay smiled.

Drew excused himself, "I'll be right back."

"Okay, kiddo." Sean watched Drew walk to the shop's locker room, then he looked at Jay and said, "Thank you, man."

"For what?"

"For being so understanding."

Jay said, "Come on. I'm not an asshole teenager anymore. I wouldn't ever be a jerk to Drew about anything. And I meant what I said; he's really fucking brave."

Sean nodded, "We just worry about him getting hurt, you know?"

"Well, you'd be worried if he was straight, too, right?"

Sean shrugged, "I don't know. If he were straight, I'd be more worried about him breaking some poor girl's heart. Jesus, that's awful for me to say, isn't it?"

"I don't think it's awful."

Sean took a deep breath then said, "What I mean is not everyone will be as accepting as we are, and that's what worries me the most. I know things have progressed a lot since we were in high school, but I still worry about him. Teenagers and some adults can be real jackasses."

Jay nodded, "I get it."

"I just want him to be safe and okay."

"I know you do."

Jay smiled at Sean, and Sean raised an eyebrow then asked, "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because you're an incredible father, Cameron, and I'm proud to call you my friend."

"Thank you."

"I mean it, man. You are so good with Drew. You're a natural."

Sean smiled and noticed Drew walking back toward them, "Hey, kiddo. You want to grab me that wrench over there?"

Drew held one up and said, "This one?"

Sean nodded, "Yep, that one." Drew walked over and handed it to him, "Thank you."

"You're welcome."


	40. Chapter 40

Emma walked into the office and sat at her desk. She had some paperwork to go through, and a few emails to answer. A new listing popped up, which could mean another big commission.

"Rosedale. Wow." She typed some things into her computer and printed out the listing. Rosedale is one of the wealthiest areas in Toronto, and if you can sell houses there, it would be like selling a brownstone on the Upper East Side in New York or selling a mansion in Beverly Hills or Bel-Air, California. The houses in Rosedale were old, beautiful, and usually designated as historical landmarks, meaning you could remodel the inside, but you couldn't touch the outside, and you definitely couldn't tear them down and do a rebuild. A lot of them were multi-million dollar dwellings. This listing was just under $8 million. Emma took a deep breath and smiled, "I can do this."

Emma liked working with and selling older looking homes. The real estate in Toronto had become too modern for Emma. All the houses were starting to look the same: cold and beige. She liked houses with some character and history.

As she was working, she called Manny. Emma got her voicemail and left her a message. "Hey, it's me. I'm just checking in and making sure everything is going well. You don't have to rush to call me back." She ended the call and got back to work.

* * *

Sean stepped back from Drake's car and said, "I think we're all set for today."

Jay looked at the car and nodded, "We can definitely finish it by Monday afternoon."

Pete agreed, "Yep."

"Great." Sean, Pete, and Jay put a tarp over the car and locked it in the back where the famous client's cars are stored. "I'm going to check on everyone else, close up, and get the hell out of here. We have a trip to IKEA on the itinerary."

Drew smiled.

Jay asked, "Do you want me to come over tonight or tomorrow?"

Sean looked at Jay and smiled, "We'll be building the stuff tonight, and we'll probably have you help us move it all tomorrow."

Jay laughed and said, "Okay. But I still could come over tonight and help with the building part. I can even help with the moving part. Might as well get it all out of the way."

Sean asked, "Are you sure?"

Jay shrugged, "I have nothing better to do all day."

Sean clapped his hands together and said, "Great! We will let you know when we're home. We can order some food, drink some beers and put some IKEA furniture together." He wiped his hands and said, "I'll be in my office." He looked at Drew and said, "You can hang out here with the guys if you want."

Jay joked and said, "Yeah, stay out here, Drew. You'll be bored in the office with your dad."

Sean shook his head, laughed then walked into his office.

Jay asked, "So, Drew, who do you like at school?"

Drew looked down at the ground then said, "My friend Oliver."

"He was at your party, right?" Drew nodded. "And you're afraid he's straight, and he'll reject you."

"Yep."

"Does he ever talk about girls he's interested in?"

Drew shook his head, "Not really."

Pete asked, 'Do any of your friends know?"

"I haven't told anyone yet. Our friend Ethan has a gay older brother, and he seems cool about it, so I think if I came out to him, it would be okay."

Jay said, "I'm glad kids have evolved since we were teenagers."

Pete added, "I'll admit, I was a jackass about it when I was younger, but I've grown up, and one of my best friends is gay."

"Really?"

Pete nodded, "Yep. His husband is awesome, and we have a lot of fun when we all hang out."

Drew smiled, "That's cool."

Jay put his hand on Drew's shoulder, "If anyone is an asshole about it, they don't deserve to have you in their life."

He nodded and said, "I know."

Sean called Emma from his office phone and waited for her to answer. He had finished his paperwork and just needed to do a few more things before they could leave the shop.

She smiled when she saw Sean calling, "Hey, babe. How's everything going?"

"Everything is great. We're almost done here, and Jay is coming over tonight to help me and Drew move and build the furniture."

"Good! That'll be fun."

"We'll probably order some Chinese. Do we have any beer in the house?"

Emma walked over to the fridge, opened it, and said, "We may need to get some on the way home from IKEA."

"I'll stop off on the way home." He looked at his computer. "We should be home by 1:15."

"Okay. Sounds good."

He asked, "How was work?"

"I have a new listing that could potentially lead to another large commission."

"That's great, babe!"

"I know. I'm excited. It's in Rosedale."

Sean said, "Whoa. In Rosedale? How much is it?"

"Just under 8."

Sean nearly fell back in his chair, "8 million?"

Emma laughed, "Yes. I'll be going there on Monday to meet with the sellers. Oh, and I found two new places to look at with Jimmy."

Sean smiled and said, "So you'll probably win the award for second-quarter sales too, huh?"

"We'll see."

* * *

"Okay," Sean locked up the shop and turned to Jay, "I'll let you know when we're on the way home from IKEA."

"Sounds good, and don't worry about the food. I'll bring it over. Just text me what you want."

"Thanks, man. I'll provide the beer."

"Awesome."

Jay got into his car, and Sean unlocked his truck. He looked at Drew and said, "I just have to stop off and get some beer. Then we'll pick up your mom and be on our way."

They both got into the car, and Drew said, "Thanks again, dad. For everything."

"You're welcome, kiddo."

"And thanks for being so supportive."

"I love you, and I will always support you no matter what, okay?"

Drew nodded.

* * *

Sean looked around and said, "This place is amazing."

Emma turned to Sean and asked, "Haven't you been here before?"

"A long time ago, but I always have the same reaction."

"Oh, okay." She looked at Drew and said, "You printed everything out, right?"

"Yep!"

"Great, this shouldn't take too long."

Drew walked ahead of Sean and Emma, and Sean grabbed her hand. "By the way, Jay will be bringing over the food later."

"That's good. One less thing to worry about."

Sean bumped into her shoulder and said, "You won't have anything to worry about. We'll be doing all the building and moving."

"I can help if you want."

Sean shook his head, "Nope. You can relax and watch us if you want."

Drew pointed at a dresser and said, "There it is."

Sean and Emma walked over and inspected it. "How many did you want?"

Drew pointed at another piece from the same furniture line and said, "One like that and one like this."

Emma asked, "In gray, right?"

"Yep."

Sean nodded, "That will look cool."

Emma walked over to the bed that they had set up and asked, "Would you want the matching nightstand?"

Drew nodded, "Yes. And I want the gray desk."

Sean looked at it and said, "That's a good size. Not too big, not too small."

Drew smiled, "I pretty much want my room to look like this."

Emma looked around and said, "It's perfect. Now how about your bed?"

"Can I just keep the one that's down there?"

She nodded and said, "Of course. That would make things a lot easier for your father."

Sean laughed and said, "Thank you for thinking of me." Emma bumped into him, then Sean continued, "And we can move his current bed against the wall for now."

"Okay, so if we're done in here, I have some organizers to buy!"

Sean laughed, "You are so excited about that."

"Don't make fun of me."

He kissed her and smiled, "Okay, I won't."

* * *

Sean wheeled the furniture to his truck while Emma held onto the stuff she bought to organize the closet. "I just have let Jay know we're on the way home and give him our food order."

"I can text him everything." Emma took out her phone, and after Drew and Sean let her know what they wanted for dinner, she sent Jay the message.

Sean opened the back of his truck and started loading the furniture into the back. Drew helped him, and Emma got into the passenger seat. Sean said, "Uh, kiddo, you're going to be kind of squished back there."

Drew shrugged, "That's okay."

Emma looked back at them, "I'll just keep the organization stuff with me in the front, so it doesn't take up room back there."

Once they figured out how to fit everything and fit Drew in the backseat, Sean started the truck. "At least unloading everything will be easier."

Emma said, "We can just move everything that's currently in that room, minus the bed, into the T.V. area in the basement. Then we'll figure out what to do with it. You can build the furniture in the bedroom."

Sean nodded, "Sounds good to me."

Drew smiled, "Thank you for doing all this for me."

"You're welcome, kiddo."

It didn't take them long to get home, and when they did, Jay was already waiting for them on the front porch with two bags of food. Emma walked up to the front door and unlocked it, "Here, give them to me. You can go and help the boys."

"Yes, ma'am!" Jay jogged over to Sean and Drew. He joked, "Jesus, did you buy the whole store?"

Sean laughed and said, "Almost."

Drew grabbed one of the smaller boxes and walked to the front door.

Jay helped Sean with the bigger boxes, and when they got everything inside, Sean locked the front door.

Emma had opened all of the take out cartons, put out plates, utensils, and cups. She also opened two bottles of beer, one for Jay and one for Sean, and a bottle of root beer for Drew. "Everything's ready, boys."

Sean walked over to Emma, "This looks great, thanks." He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her cheek. "I like the root beer. Nice touch."

"Well, I wanted him to feel like he grown-up even if he can't drink real beer yet."

Jay asked, "So we're going to eat first then put everything together?"

Sean said, "We're going to move everything out of the room, minus the bed because Drew's keeping it."

Jay joked, "That's a great bed."

Drew grimaced and said, "Oh god, all four of you have had sex in that bed."

Emma laughed, "The sheets are all clean, I promise."

Drew shook his head as if he were trying to get the images out of his head.

Sean and Jay chuckled. Sean pat Drew on the shoulder and said, "Sorry, kiddo."

* * *

Sean and Jay moved the furniture out of Drew's new room. There wasn't much, just two dressers and one nightstand. Drew was going to keep the chair in there so he could have a reading nook. It was a pretty spacious room for a basement bedroom. As Jay and Sean started building the furniture, Drew gathered his toiletries and brought them down to his new bathroom.

"I'm excited to use this shower all the time."

Jay nodded, "That rainfall head is amazing."

Drew scrunched his face, "Did you and Aunt Manny have sex in there too?" Jay smiled, and Drew said, "Maybe I don't want to move down here."

Sean said, "Fat chance, kiddo. You're stuck down here now."

Emma walked into the room. "Do you guys need anything?"

Drew answered first, "A mind eraser so I can forget that I ever knew about Aunt Manny and Uncle Jay having sex in that shower."

Emma shook her head, "Jay!"

"What? I couldn't lie to him!"

Sean laughed.

She asked, "So do you need anything?"

"Nope," Sean walked over to her and kissed her nose, "How's the closet coming along?"

"It's coming along great."

"Good."

Drew walked into the bathroom, and Jay said, "He called me Uncle Jay, That's the first time he's done that."

"Well," Emma smiled at him, "He's finally comfortable around you."

Jay smiled, "He's a great kid, Em. You've done an amazing job."

"Thank you, Jay."

* * *

After Jay and Sean finished putting together all of Drew's furniture, they moved the basement furniture upstairs and put it in the front room of the second floor for now. Sean showed Jay Drew's old room and explained how they were going to turn it into a workout room.

"Not a nursery?"

Sean smiled, "We'll probably make the front room a nursery or maybe the middle room, but I think we'll probably have the baby upstairs with us first."

"Are you trying?"

Sean shook his head, "Not yet. I'd like to get married first."

Jay nodded. "And how's that coming along?"

Sean put his finger to his lips, "Not so loud."

"Sorry."

"I'm still trying to think of a way to propose. I want it to be special for Em."

Jay put his hand on Sean's shoulder, "I have faith in you, Cameron."

Sean smiled and said, "Come on, let's get back downstairs and check in on the kid. See if he likes where everything is."

"Okay."

When Sean walked into the room, Drew was putting clothes into his tall dresser.

"So?" Sean asked Drew, "What do you think?"

"Everything looks great!"

"Are you sure?" Sean looked around, "And you like where everything is?"

Drew nodded, "Yes, I like the dressers next to each other, and I like having this corner as my workspace." He pointed at his new desk. "I'm going to bring my computer down and chair tomorrow."

Jay chimed in, "Well, I think everything looks fantastic, kid. You've got yourself a great room."

"Thanks." He hugged Sean, then hugged Jay. "You guys are the best."

"Well, since my work is done. I'm going to head home and pass out."

Sean chuckled, "Thanks, man. I appreciate the help."

"Anything for my favorite nephew."

Drew smiled.

Sean said, "Let me walk you out."

Jay said, "Bye, kiddo."

"Bye, Uncle Jay."

Sean and Jay walked upstairs, and Emma put down the book she was reading, "All done?"

"Yep. For now. The next thing is painting the room." Sean quickly added, "We'll wait a few weeks for that."

Emma smiled. "Well, you should sleep well tonight."

Right on cue, Jay yawned, "Yep."

Sean laughed, "Okay, get home before you pass out, Hogart."

"Bye."

"Bye, man. See you on Monday."

Jay walked out of the house, and Emma walked over to Sean, who locked the front door.

"Hi."

She smiled, "Hi." She leaned forward and kissed him.

Sean asked, "What was that for?"

"I can't kiss you?"

"Well, yeah, of course, you can."

Emma kissed him again, pulled away, and asked, "So is Drew happy with everything?"

"Yep." He grabbed her hand, "Come on down and see everything."

They walked into the room, and Drew was sitting on the bed.

Sean asked, "Kiddo, are you okay?"

He nodded, "Yep. Just tired."

Emma said, "Well, you've been sick all week, and this was a big day. Maybe take a shower and then go to sleep?"

Drew nodded and stood up, "Thanks so much for today and for everything."

Emma opened her arms, and Drew walked into them, "I love you so much, kiddo."

"I love you too."

Sean smiled as they hugged. When Drew pulled away from Emma, he hugged Sean, "Wow, two hugs, huh?"

Drew smiled and said, "I hope that's okay."

"Of course, it is."

When Drew pulled away, he smiled at his parents. "I love you both a lot. And I can't wait for us to be a family officially."

Sean's eyes widened, but Emma didn't see his reaction. She grabbed Drew's hand, "Maybe it will happen sooner than you think."

"Oh yeah?"

She looked back at Sean, "Well, yes, your father and I want to be married, and you never know, maybe we'll just decide to do it."

Sean smiled at Emma, and as she turned back to Drew, he looked relieved. He didn't want her to have any idea that he was working on both his proposal and getting her a ring.

Emma said, "Okay, we'll leave you alone. You have everything you need down here? Are there clean towels?"

"Yes, mom."

"Good. Let us know if you need anything."

"I will."

Sean flopped back onto the couch as soon as he got upstairs, "I am exhausted."

Emma joined him and smiled, "But you got everything done today, right?"

"You mean all the moving and building? Yes."

"Which means you'll be okay for tomorrow night."

Sean smiled, "Yes."

"Good."

* * *

After his shower, Drew got ready for bed. He looked around his new room and smiled. Just then, his phone buzzed. It was Oliver.

He took a deep breath, then answered, "Hello?"

"Hey man, how did everything go today?"

"It was great. I'm in my new room right now getting ready to go to sleep."

Oliver looked at his phone and saw the time. It was only 8:30. "Uh, it's kind of early, no?"

"Well, I went to work with my dad, then we went to IKEA, then we came back here and moved things and put things together."

"Ah, that's a long day."

"Plus, I just got better, so I don't want to make myself sick again."

"That makes sense."

"Oh, my grandpa said that Perino gave us until Thursday to work on our project?"

"Yes!" Oliver laughed, "I am so glad."

Drew said, "Yeah, it's good to know Perino actually has a heart."

Oliver laughed again, then said, "Well, I'll let you go so you can sleep. I'll see you Monday?"

Drew said, "Yep."

"Cool. Bye, man."

"Bye." Drew ended the call and sighed. He hated not knowing how Oliver felt about him.

* * *

Emma beamed and asked, "Doesn't it look great?"

Sean looked around the closet and said, "Yes, it actually does."

"Excuse Mr. Cameron, but did you doubt my organizational abilities?"

"No, I didn't." He smiled and said, "It really does look great, Em." He yawned, "Sorry."

"Oh, my poor baby." Emma wrapped her arms around Sean's neck, "You're so tired." Sean nodded. "How about this? I'll start a bath for you. You can relax for a little while and then we'll go to bed."

"You can't join me?"

"I probably could, but we can't do anything."

Sean laughed, "I think I can control myself around you, Em."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Okay, how about this? I'll get the bath ready, and I'll let you know when you can join me."

"Sounds wonderful."

Emma walked into the bathroom and turned on the faucet. She made sure the water temperature was okay and then got ready for the bath. Emma also had to make sure she was okay. Her period was at its end but it was still there. She couldn't wait for it to finish. Emma climbed into the tub and called out Sean's name.

He slid the door open and smiled at her. She said, "Come on in; it's perfect."

Sean stripped down and stepped into the tub. He sat opposite Emma and sighed as he leaned back into the water, "Ah, yes, that's the good stuff." Emma began to massage his foot. "That feels incredible."

"Good. I wanted to thank you for making our son's weekend."

Sean smiled and said, "You had a big hand in that, too, you know."

"I know, but you put everything together and made it so he could have that room."

"I never knew I could love someone the way I love him, you know?"

"I do."

Sean looked at her, "I feel the same way about you."

"Oh yeah?"

Sean nodded, "Yes. I'm so thankful that we're back in each other's lives."

"Me too." She began to massage his other foot.

"Oh, God, I cannot wait for tomorrow."

Emma laughed.


	41. Chapter 41

The next morning, Sean woke up ahead of Emma. He propped himself up on one elbow and watched as Emma slept. He smiled down at her, played with her hair, and after a while, she stirred. She opened her eyes, stretched, and smiled at him, "Hi."

"Good morning, beautiful."

She squinted as the bright sunshine poured into her room through the french doors, "How long have you been up?"

"Not that long."

Emma kissed him, "What time is it?"

"I don't even know." He turned, grabbed his phone, and looked, "Wow, it's 10."

"10?" She stretched again and said, "I can't believe we slept that long."

Sean sat up, "Building and moving furniture is pretty tiring."

"I didn't do anything, so why did I sleep so long?"

"Your period?"

"Maybe." She sat up, "Speaking of that; I hope it's gone."

Sean smiled, "Yeah, me too."

She giggled, "If it isn't, I'm helping you out."

"Em, you don't have to."

She stood up, "Maybe I want to."

"Well, I mean, if you want to, I won't refuse."

Emma laughed and walked into the bathroom. She closed the door and checked everything. She was in the clear. "Oh, thank goodness." She washed up, put everything away, and called out to Sean, "Would you like to take a shower?"

Sean got out of bed, walked to the bathroom doorway, and asked, "Together?" She nodded, and he asked, "Are you okay?"

Emma smiled and nodded. "Yep. All done."

"Well, in that case," He took off his shirt, "I would love to."

Emma turned on the water and watched Sean get undressed. He noticed her watching him and smiled, "Enjoying yourself?"

"I can't look at you?"

He walked over to her and grabbed her waist, "You can look at me."

Emma tucked his hair behind his ear, "I can't help liking you so much."

He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Oh yeah? You like me?"

She nodded, "Yes."

He kissed her and smiled, pulling away, "I like you too."

Emma laughed, "Oh, good. I'm glad."

"Come on, let's shower, and afterward, we can go down and see our son."

"Okay."

Sean walked into the shower. Emma stripped down and followed him.

* * *

After their shower, Emma and Sean got dressed and headed downstairs.

Sean looked around and said, "I wonder if he's up."

Emma walked into the kitchen, "He might be hanging out downstairs."

"We may never see him again."

Emma laughed, "You want some breakfast?"

"How about I go out and pick up some things? We can do brunch."

"That sounds lovely."

The basement door opened and Drew walked slowly into the kitchen.

Emma asked, "Hey, kiddo, how did you sleep?"

"I think I need ten more hours."

Sean smiled, "I'm going out to get some things for brunch. Can you think of something you want?"

"Donuts. I want donuts."

Sean laughed, "Okay, I can do that. Anything specific?"

"Glazed."

He looked at Emma, "How about you?"

"Croissants, donuts, muffins, scones."

"So every bread product available?"

She smiled, "Yes."

"Okay." Sean grabbed his keys and his wallet. "I'll be back in a bit."

Sean walked out, and Emma looked at Drew, "So how did you like sleeping in your new room?"

Drew nodded, "I liked it a lot. I forgot where I was when I first woke up."

Emma smiled, "Maddie's coming over later, right?"

"Yes. We're going to review _Lord Of The Flies_. Well, I'm reviewing it, and she's helping me."

"I'm sure you'll do fine on the test. You read the whole thing, right?"

Drew nodded.

"And she'll be here for dinner?"

"Yep."

"Good." Emma started the coffee and opened the fridge, "Want anything to drink?"

"Orange juice."

"You got it." Drew sat at the island and smiled at his mother. Emma noticed Drew watching her. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why are you smiling at me like that?"

Drew shrugged, "No reason. Guess I'm in a good mood."

Emma handed him his orange juice. "Me too."

"So, are you and dad going to have more kids?"

Emma was taken aback by the bluntness of Drew's question but said, "We've talked about it. Why? Do you not want a brother or sister?"

"I think it could be fun having a younger brother or sister. Especially now that I'm in the basement and won't hear them crying."

Emma laughed and said, "I mean your dad, and I would have to get married first."

"Yeah. When do you think that's going to happen?"

Emma shrugged, "I don't know. Hopefully, soon."

Drew nodded and sipped his orange juice.

* * *

Sean went to a bakery and picked up as many bread products as he could. He was also craving donuts, so he got a dozen from Tim Horton's and made sure there were a few glazed donuts for Drew. After he was done and had put all the brunch food into the backseat, he was about to get into his truck when he heard someone call his name.

"Sean?"

He turned around and smiled when he saw the person calling his name, "Alex?"

Alex Nunez nodded, and they hugged hello.

"My God, how long has it been?"

Alex smiled and said, "Decades?"

Sean laughed, "So how are you? What have you been up to?"

"Well, I'm visiting from New York. With Paige."

Sean smiled, "Are you together?"

She nodded.

"Good for you."

"And you?"

"Well, it's a long story..." Sean told the story of Emma and Drew, and when he finished, he showed her the drawing of the ring.

"Wow, Sean, it's gorgeous."

"Thanks. Now I just have to come up with the perfect proposal."

"I'm sure you will come up with something great."

Sean took out his phone, swiped a couple of times, and showed Alex a picture of Drew. "And here's our son."

Alex's eyes widened, "Sean, oh my God."

"Yeah, I know."

She looked at the picture and shook her head, "It's uncanny."

"It really is."

Alex smiled, "Girls must be gaga over him."

Sean smiled, "He doesn't tell us anything."

"Yeah, well, you remember what it was like to be 14."

"Indeed, I do."

Her phone buzzed, and she looked at it, "Well, I'd better go. I told Paige I'd be back about a half an hour ago."

"Where are you two staying?"

"With her parents."

Sean nodded then said, "Well, it was great to see you."

They hugged again, and Alex said, "You too. Tell Emma I said hi."

"I will. And give my regards to Paige."

"Will do."

"See ya."

"Bye."

Sean watched as Alex walked down the street, and he smiled.

* * *

"You ran into Alex? What is she up to?"

Sean grabbed a donut and said, "She's a counselor."

"Good for her."

"She's living in New York and she's back together with Paige."

Emma smiled and said, "I'm happy for them."

"Yeah, I told her all about us."

"She must have been surprised, huh?"

Sean nodded, "Then I showed her a picture of Drew, and she couldn't believe it."

Drew sat down at the table and asked, "Who did you show my picture to?"

"Just an old friend from high school."

"Oh," Drew grabbed two donuts and said, "And what did she say?"

"She couldn't believe how much you looked like me."

Drew nodded, "That's what everyone says."

Emma laughed, "Well, it's true."

"I know."

"I mean, it could be worse. You could look like me instead."

Drew shook his head, "What do you think your next kid will look like?"

Sean nearly spit out his coffee and Emma laughed at him, "Drew and I were discussing the possibility of you and I having more children."

"Oh, I see." He looked at Drew and asked, "Would you be okay with having a younger sibling?"

"Sure. It'll be an adjustment, and I know you'll have to spend a lot of time taking care of them."

Emma asked, "But would you be okay with your dad being here this time or would feel, I don't, resentful or jealous that your sibling will have two parents raising them from the start?"

Drew shrugged, "I don't know. I could say I'm fine with it now but change my mind when they're born."

Emma nodded.

"I do know that I'd want a sister."

Sean said, "Oh yeah?"

Drew nodded, "Yeah. Mom needs to have someone who looks like her walking around here."

Emma smiled at her son and said, "Now that would be something."

Sean said, "I hope we have a girl that looks like you but who's short like me." He looked at Drew and said, "This one is probably going to be a 6-footer, and I am going to need an ally."

Emma scoffed, "You have me!"

Sean winked at her and drank his coffee.

Drew finished one donut and grabbed the other one, "I'm heading downstairs. I need to shower and get ready for Maddie's arrival."

Sean nodded, "Right, we will leave you two alone downstairs. I know this is an important day for you."

Drew took a deep breath, "I just hope she's okay with what I'm going to say to her."

Emma said, "I think she will be. I don't think you have to worry so much."

"But it's okay if I do, right?"

Sean nodded and said, "Of course it is. It's natural to be nervous."

Drew smiled and said, "Thank you both."

"No problem, kiddo."

Drew walked to the basement stairs and said, "I'm lucky to have you both here."

Sean smiled at his son and said, "We're lucky too, kiddo."

Drew nodded and walked down the stairs.

Sean turned to Emma, who was wiping away tears and said, "Em..."

"Sorry."

He grabbed her hand, "Emma, it's okay."

"It's not okay." She stood up and brought her plate to the sink.

Sean got up and followed her into the kitchen. "I'm going to ask you something, and I don't want you to get upset with me."

She didn't turn around. She rinsed off her plate in the sink, "Okay."

"Have you ever considered seeing a therapist?"

She turned around and asked, "Do you think I need one?"

Sean shrugged, "It couldn't hurt. And a therapist can help you sort through things." Emma nodded, and he continued, "You're carrying around a lot of guilt over what happened with Drew and me and with us, and I think you need to see someone about it. I keep telling you I'm okay, and Drew says he's okay, but you don't believe us."

"I just can't understand how you could forgive me so quickly."

"Emma, we've been through this."

"I know, we've wasted enough time, but I'm the reason you lost all that time with your son." Sean nodded, and she said, "You know how hard it is for me to ask for help."

Sean smiled and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, "A therapist could help you with that too."

"Speaking of therapy, when is your next appointment?"

"I rescheduled after everything that happened, so I'm going later this week."

"Could you ask your doctor if there's someone else in the same practice I can see?"

"Sure." He kissed her and leaned his forehead against hers, "I love you."

"I love you too."

"I want you to forget about this for now, okay? Let's try to have a good day, and let's make sure we're available for Drew in case things don't go well with Maddie."

Emma nodded, "Okay."

Sean kissed her again, and Emma reached down and grabbed his jeans, "Um, Em, what are you doing?"

"Nothing."

"We can't do anything here. Drew may come upstairs."

Emma smiled, "I can hear the shower."

"I'd feel way more comfortable doing this upstairs."

"Fine." She grabbed his hand and said, "Let's go upstairs."

* * *

"Mom? Dad?" Drew looked around the main level of the house, then looked up the stairs and shook his head. He texted Maddie. "You can come over now if you want."

Maddie grabbed her phone as soon as it buzzed. She typed back, "Cool. I'll be there in half an hour."

Drew looked up at the ceiling and said, "I hope they're done by then." He went back down to his new room and made sure it wasn't too messy for Maddie. When he finished cleaning up, he walked into the bathroom, looked in the mirror, and began practicing his speech to Maddie.

* * *

Sean looked at Emma and said, "We need to get cleaned up and get dressed."

"Oh, right, Maddie."

"Yeah." He got out of the bed and held out his hand, "Let's take a quick shower."

"Okay."

Drew called up the stairs, "Mom! Dad! Maddie will be here in 20 minutes."

Sean called down to him and said, "Okay, kiddo, we'll be there in a bit."

Drew shook his head.

Emma turned on the shower then put her hair in a bun, "I can't do my hair again."

Sean smiled and joined her.

* * *

Sean and Emma made it downstairs in time for Maddie's arrival.

"Hey, Maddie!" Emma called out from the kitchen.

"Hi, Miss Nelson." She looked at Sean and said, "Hi, Mr. Cameron."

"Hey there, Maddie. Good to see you again."

"You too."

Drew looked at Sean and said, "We're going down to my room."

"Okay. Let us know if you need anything."

Emma looked at Drew and said, "Here." She handed him a tray with two bottles of root beer and cookies that Sean picked up from the bakery. "Take this downstairs, and if you need anything else, just let me know."

"Thanks, mom."

"No problem."

Drew let Maddie walk down the stairs ahead of him, and he looked at Sean. Sean winked at him and said, "It'll be okay."

Drew nodded and walked down the stairs. Emma closed the door to give them privacy and looked at Sean, "I'm nervous."

"Me too."

Maddie walked into Drew's room and said, "Wow, it looks great in here!" She looked around at the new furniture.

"Thanks." He set the tray on his desk. "We still have to paint."

"We or your dad?"

"Hey, I helped with the furniture."

"Oh yeah?"

He nodded, "Well, make yourself comfortable." He pointed at the bed, and Maddie sat down.

"I'm glad you're feeling better."

"Me too. I was so sick. I hated it."

Maddie giggled and said, "No one likes being sick, Drew."

"I know." He handed her a bottle of root beer, then grabbed the box of cookies and sat on the bed. "So, how was the test?"

"It wasn't bad. Mr. Del Rossi will probably switch up the questions for you, but if you read the book, you shouldn't have a problem."

"Good."

"Did you like the book?"

He shrugged and said, "I guess so. Did you?"

"It was okay. Oh, Mr. Del Rossi told us what the next book is going to be."

"Is it a good one?"

"According to my older sister, it is. It's the Great Gatsby." Drew nodded. "Are you okay? You seem nervous for some reason."

"I am nervous."

Maddie looked puzzled, "Why?"

Drew took a deep breath and said, "I have something to tell you, and I'm not sure how you're going to react."

Maddie looked down at her hands and said, "You like someone."

"I do."

She looked at him and asked, "Is she someone I know?"

Drew shook his head.

"Does she go to another school?"

Drew shook his head again and said, "Maddie, it isn't a she."

She blinked and asked, "It's a he?"

Drew nodded but didn't say anything.

"Am I the first person you're telling about this?"

"You're the first friend. My parents know."

"And they're okay with it?"

He looked at her and nodded.

She smiled and said, "I wish my parents were as cool as yours."

"So you don't hate me?"

"Hate you? No! Of course not." She looked at him and said, "I'm a little shocked, but I could never hate you."

He exhaled in relief. "Good. I'm glad."

"Who do you like?"

He threw his head back and said, "Ugh, I don't even want to say it because there is no way he feels the same way."

Maddie asked, "Is it Oliver?"

He lowered his head and said, "How come everyone keeps guessing correctly? Am I that obvious?"

"No, not at all. It was just a guess. I promise."

* * *

Emma stood in the kitchen and asked, "What should I cook for dinner?"

"Pasta?"

"I'm always making pasta."

Sean smiled, "I know, but it's good."

"Let me see what I have veggie and cheese wise. I'll make something a little more elevated than just pasta." She opened the fridge and said, "Ooh, perfect!"

"What did you find?"

"Eggplant. I'm going to bread it, fry it, then layer it between sauce and cheese and bake it like lasagna."

"Okay, that sounds amazing." Sean looked over at the basement door, "I wonder how it's going down there."

"I hope it's going well."

* * *

"They have sex all the time."

Maddie laughed and said, "Oh my God, really?"

"They did it just before you got here."

"How do you know? You haven't walked in on them, have you?"

"God, no." Drew shuddered at the thought. "I just know. I think they're making up for lost time."

Maddie nodded, "I wonder what it's like."

"What? Having sex?" She nodded again. "You should ask my parents."

Maddie laughed.

"I'm happy that they're together and that my dad is in my life."

"He does seem cool."

"He's very cool."

"And he's hot."

"Maddie, come on."

"What? He is." Drew shook his head. "You're going to look like him when you're his age. You'll be fighting off guys with a stick."

Drew laughed and said, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being okay with this."

"Drew, we've been friends a long time, and I care about you." He smiled and she asked, "So, do you need me to help you with Oliver?"

Drew shook his head, "I don't ever want to tell him."

"Oh come on! Why not?"

"Because he's probably straight and I'll be humiliated."

Maddie asked, "Have you ever seen him show any interest in girls?"

Drew thought about it for a moment and said, "Not really."

"Exactly."

"Wait, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying I don't think Oliver would hate you if you told him you liked him."

"Really?"

Maddie nodded. "And I think he may feel the same way about you."

"Has he said anything to you?"

"No, he hasn't. Not about you specifically, but I think he also likes someone and is afraid to tell them."

"Knowing my luck it's probably someone like Ava Santulli or Bailey Barrington."

"Or maybe it's you."

Drew scoffed, "I doubt it."

Maddie shook her head, "Where's your confidence?"

"What confidence?"

"Drew, you're adorable, and anyone would be lucky to be with you."

He blushed and said, "Are you sure you're okay with all this?"

"I think you being gay makes it easier for me to deal with you not liking me. If you liked another girl, I wouldn't be this receptive or supportive." Drew nodded and Maddie placed her hand on his, "You can trust me, Drew. I promise."

Drew smiled and said, "Okay."


	42. Chapter 42

Emma took the eggplant dish out of the oven and put it on the counter. "Okay, this is ready. I just want it to cool down for a few minutes."

"That smells good, babe."

Emma smiled, "I hope it tastes as good as it smells."

"I'm sure it does." Sean walked over, wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, and kissed her shoulder. "I wonder how things are going downstairs."

Emma turned around and wrapped her arms around Sean's neck. "I'm assuming it's going okay because neither one of them has come upstairs."

"This is stressful." Emma kissed him and smiled as she pulled away. Sean asked, "What was that for?"

"It's because you're amazing."

Sean raised his eyebrow and said, "Oh yeah?"

Emma nodded, "Oh yeah..."

They kissed again and didn't pull away this time. Not until they were interrupted by the basement door opening. Drew turned to Maddie and said, "See? I told you."

Emma giggled as she pulled away from Sean. "Hey, kiddo." Sean straightened himself up and turned around. Emma said, "Dinner's ready."

"Good."

Emma turned back to the eggplant and asked, "Maddie, what would you like to drink?"

"I'll have another root beer if you have more."

"We do." Emma walked to the fridge and looked at Drew, "Sit down."

Drew and Maddie sat down, and Sean whispered to Emma, "They seem okay."

"Yeah. Guess we'll find out." Emma called out to Drew, "Would you like root beer too, sweetie?"

"Yeah, thanks."

"Great!" Emma began slicing the eggplant and plating the food for everyone. "Go sit."

Sean shook his head, "I can help you with this."

"Thank you." She kissed his nose.

Maddie whispered to Drew, "So they're always like that?" Drew nodded, and Maddie turned to look at Emma and Sean. "I don't think my parents even kiss anymore." She watched as Emma and Sean plated the food together. Then Emma kissed Sean on the nose.

A few moments later, Drew whispered, "Okay, stop staring at my dad."

Maddie turned back around and said, "I wasn't staring at him!"

"Sure, you weren't."

"Oh, shut up."

After they finished serving Maddie and Drew, Sean and Emma sat down at the table. Emma asked, "So how did the _Lord of the Flies_ review go?"

Maddie smiled and said, "I think Drew will do well on the test."

Emma looked at Drew and said, "See? As long as you read what your teachers tell you to read, you'll do well."

Drew took a bite of his food but remained silent. Sean looked at Emma and shrugged; they couldn't tell how things went between Maddie and Drew, and they weren't about to ask.

There was silence at the table for a few moments. Drew ate his food and wouldn't look at his parents. Sean and Emma watched as he ate his food, and Maddie could tell they were curious about how the conversation went. Maddie stopped eating and said, "I know you're both probably wondering about the discussion we had downstairs." Sean and Emma looked at her, "I just want you to know that I am 100% supportive of Drew."

Sean felt like he had a thousand-pound weight lifted off his back. Emma smiled and said, "We're both happy to hear that, Maddie."

Maddie added, "And I think he should tell Oliver how he feels."

Drew rolled his eyes, "Maddie."

Sean asked, "You do?"

Maddie nodded, "Oliver has never shown any interest in any girls at our school or any other school, and I think he may like Drew back."

"Oh, god." Drew put his head in his hands and groaned.

Emma asked, "Sweetie, isn't this a good thing?"

He kept his head in his hands, "I don't know."

Sean said, "I can understand your apprehension, kiddo."

Maddie said, "I could always ask him for you."

Drew raised his head and said, "No. No way. I'll," He took a deep breath, "I'll figure something out."

"Okay. I won't pressure you, and I promise not to do or say anything to hurt your chances with Oliver."

"I don't think I have a chance with him."

Emma asked, "Why not? You're adorable! Where's your confidence?"

"Ugh, mom." Drew blushed. "Stop."

Maddie said, "She's right. You are."

"Okay, I'm going to go downstairs, lock myself in my room, and never come out again."

Maddie and Emma laughed. Sean said, "Okay, ladies, let's leave Drew alone."

Maddie said, "Fine. But I still think Oliver likes you."

After a few more moments of silence at the table, Drew looked at Sean and said, "Dad, Maddie thinks you're hot."

Maddie nearly choked on her dinner and hissed, "Drew!" She looked down at her hands, and her face turned beet red, "I hate you."

Sean shook his head and said, "Andrew, that was not nice."

"Oh, but it's fine for her and mom to tease me about Oliver?"

Maddie couldn't look up and said, "I want to die now. Thanks."

Sean said, "Maddie, don't be embarrassed."

"How can I not be?"

Emma looked at Maddie and said, "Hey, I don't blame you. He _is_ pretty cute."

Sean laughed, "Great, now I'm embarrassed."

Drew and Maddie looked at each other and started laughing. Sean grabbed Emma's hand and winked at her.

Maddie looked at Drew and said, "I'm sorry."

Drew said, "I'm sorry too."

Emma looked at Sean and said, "Did you just have a flashback too?"

He laughed, "Yep." Sean shook his head, "That was pretty trippy."

Maddie said, "By the way, Miss Nelson, this is excellent."

"Thank you, Maddie. It was a spur of the moment thing, but I'm glad you like it."

"Yeah, mom. I like it too."

Emma smiled, "Maybe you can bring some to school for lunch." Then she looked at Maddie and said, "Maybe I'll give him enough for two."

* * *

Maddie and Drew retreated down to his room after dinner while Sean helped Emma clean up in the kitchen.

Emma teased Sean and asked, "So what's it feel like to be the sexy dad young girls have crushes on?"

Sean laughed, "Oh, please."

"What? I tell you you're sexy all the time."

He scoffed, "That's different."

"Poor Maddie. Her face was so red."

Sean shook his head, "I can't believe Drew did that to her."

"Well, I'm just glad they made up."

"Me too. And I'm glad Maddie is supportive."

Emma nodded, "I had a feeling she would be. She's a good kid."

Sean asked, "What if Oliver does like Drew?"

Emma smiled and asked, "Will you be able to handle our son having a boyfriend?"

"Yes, as long as they're as chaste and as innocent as we were when we first went out."

"Ah, right. Only holding hands and kissing each other on the cheek." Emma said, "I don't think we have to worry about that. Not yet."

"We will need to talk to him about being safe at some point." Sean shook his head, "I don't know if I'm ready for this. I'm still getting used to being a dad. I just don't want to screw anything up."

"You won't."

Sean asked, "How do you know?"

"I just do." Emma wrapped her arms around Sean, "You are an incredible father, Sean. You have nothing to worry about."

"Maybe we can ask for Marco's help with this. I don't know the first thing about being a gay man, but Marco knows what it's like to be in the closet and come out of the closet and how to deal with being a gay teenager." Emma smiled at him, and he asked, "What?"

"I told you you had nothing to worry about."

Sean asked, "Now, what if Oliver doesn't feel the same way as Drew?"

"Well, then we'll have to help Drew through his first heartbreak."

Sean shook his head, "I just don't want anything bad to happen to him."

"I know you don't. I don't either, but it is inevitable either way. Even if they do get together, they're not going to stay together. They're just teenagers."

Sean smiled and said, "Maybe they'll be like us and makeup and break up a few times."

Emma nodded.

Sean asked, "What's wrong?"

Emma shook her head, "Nothing." She quickly kissed Sean and walked back over to the table. She wiped it down, and after she finished, she came back into the kitchen.

"Em. What did I say to upset you?"

Emma stopped by the sink and shook her head.

"Emma."

She turned to him and smiled, "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, "Yep." She walked past him and headed for the couch. Before she sat down, she asked, "Want to watch some of those wacky housewives with me?"

Sean smiled and said, "Sure."

* * *

"I still cannot believe you told your dad I think he's hot."

"I'm sorry. I was an ass."

"So was I. You should tell Oliver how you feel in your own time." Drew nodded, and Maddie continued, "I know coming out wasn't easy for you, and I know that this is a big deal."

"Thank you."

Maddie smiled at him, and I said, "I just can't believe I didn't see it sooner."

"See what?"

"You liking boys."

"I haven't been obvious, have I?"

Maddie shook her head, "No, but I should have known by your reaction after you kissed Cecilia at that party that you didn't like girls."

Drew blushed, "Yeah, it didn't do anything for me."

Maddie nodded.

"I do feel a lot better now that you know, but please, do not make it obvious around Oliver, okay?" Maddie nodded, and Drew said, "I will be so humiliated if he rejects me or even worse if he's straight and hates me."

"I promise. But again, I think Oliver likes you. I've seen him sneaking looks."

"You have?"

Maddie nodded. "I didn't realize it at the time, but looking back now, I can see it."

Drew started pacing, "And what if he does like me back? I wouldn't know the first thing about anything. Like do I make the first move? Do I wait for him to do it? I've only kissed a girl, and I hated it. Ugh! Why is this happening to me?"

Maddie smiled at Drew, "Okay, Nelson, you need to calm down. I'll tell you what to do."

He stopped pacing and asked, "You will?"

Maddie nodded, "I have some experience kissing people."

Drew asked, "Who did you kiss?"

"A couple of boys at camp." Maddie pat the space on the bed next to her, "Sit down and relax. I'm going to teach you how to kiss someone."

Drew sat down and asked, "We're not going to kiss each other, are we?"

"God, no. I'm just going to tell you what to do because some guys do not get this right, and they end up licking your face, and no one wants that."

Drew shivered and said, "Ew."

"Yeah, it's gross."

Drew shook his head, "I can't believe you're doing this for me. I feel like an idiot."

"You're not an idiot at all." She smiled and said, "I just want your first kiss to be a good one, and I want you to lay a kiss on Oliver that will make him fall in love with you."

"Maddie!"

"Sorry. Okay, first things first..."

* * *

As Sean and Emma sat on the couch together, Sean asked, "Em, are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes. I'm okay."

"Because I didn't mean to upset you earlier."

"I know."

"So, you were upset?"

"For a nanosecond." She turned to him, "I was just thinking about us getting together and breaking up and how cruel I was to you the last time we broke up."

"It's ancient history, Em."

She nodded and kissed him. "I know."

"We're together now. That's all that matters."

"I know."

Suddenly one of the housewives fall and nearly bashed her head into a table. Sean yelled out, "Holy shit!"

Emma shook her head, "Can you imagine being that drunk at her age? How embarrassing."

"She could have killed herself!" He shook his head and rewound the DVR, "Look at how close she was to hurting herself." He played it in slow motion, and both he and Emma cringed.

Emma joked, "Promise me you'll never let me get that drunk."

Sean chuckled and said, "I promise."

* * *

Later that night, after Maddie left, Sean went down to Drew's room.

"Hey, kiddo."

"Hey, dad. Everything okay?"

Sean smiled, "That's funny. I was going to ask you the same thing."

Drew nodded, "Everything is fine. Really."

"Good." Sean looked around at Drew's room and said, "So, do you like it down here so far?"

Drew smiled and said, "I love it down here. I can't hear you and mom going at it anymore."

Sean laughed. "Sorry."

"I get it. You're making up all the time you lost."

"We are." Sean sat on the edge of Drew's bed and said, "Speaking of that..."

"Oh god, are we having the birds and bees talk? Because I know all about how sex works, dad. They teach us in school."

Sean asked, "Do you know how gay sex works?"

Drew blushed, "Well, I mean, yeah. Not from experience, obviously."

Sean nodded, "Because if you need someone to talk about this, and you don't want it to be your mother or me, you can always talk to Mr. Del Rossi."

"Dad, I don't want to talk about sex with Mr. Del Rossi."

"Not about sex, but you can talk to him about being gay. Marco went through a lot of stuff when we were in school, and I think you could benefit from talking to him. I don't know what it's like to be gay."

"That's because you've been in love with mom your whole life." Sean smiled. "Look, I appreciate what you're trying to do. And I know this isn't easy for you. You just found out you're a dad, and now you're dealing with your son being gay."

"Drew, I love you, and I'm proud of you, and I have no issues with you being gay, okay?"

Drew nodded, "I know, but wouldn't you rather have a straight son?"

"The only reason why I'd ever want you to be straight is that I'm scared for you. I know how people can be, and even though things have gotten a lot better since I was a teenager, people can still be jackasses. But that's it. It's just for your safety. I'm not disappointed because you're gay if that's what you're thinking. In fact, get that thought out of your head right now." Sean placed his hand on Drew's. "I am proud to be your father, kiddo."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

They hugged, and Drew exhaled. As they pulled away, Sean asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yes. I feel a sense of relief. But not totally because I still have to deal with Oliver."

Sean nodded, "Don't worry about Oliver just yet. You have that _Lord Of The Flies_ test to worry about first."

"Yeah, but I still have that project in Perino's class with Oliver. We have to do the presentation on Thursday since we were both sick last week."

"Ah, right, I forgot about that. Well, try not to act like things are different. Get through the project first."

Drew shook his head, "This week is going to be stressful."

Sean said, "I can teach you more breathing exercises if you want. They help me when I am feeling stressed."

Drew nodded, "Yeah, I'd like that."

Sean smiled, "Okay."

* * *

By the time Sean made it upstairs, Emma was already in bed reading a book, "You were down there a while. Is everything okay?"

Sean smiled and started getting undressed, "Yep. Everything is great."

"Good." She continued reading her book, and Sean got into the bed with her.

He asked, "Is that a good book?"

"It is. I don't want to put it down."

"Oh."

"Why?"

He shrugged, "No reason."

Emma smiled and said, "Let me finish this chapter, and then we can have some fun."

"Or..." Sean went under the covers and positioned himself between Emma's legs.

"Oh, my God." She squealed when he pulled down her panties. "You are so bad."

He peeked his head out of the covers and said, "But I'm also so good."

"True."

After Sean got Emma's panties off, he went to work while Emma attempted to read the rest of the chapter. Within moments she had put the book down. She couldn't concentrate at all.

* * *

Drew lay awake in his bed, staring at the ceiling when his phone buzzed. He reached over, looked at it, and sat up. It was a text from Oliver.

"Do you think we can meet up during our free period to work on Perino's project?"

Drew wrote back, "I have to take my makeup test for Mr. Del Rossi tomorrow. Would you want to come to my place after school? We can work on it here. And you can see my new room." As Drew waited for a response from Oliver, he hoped he wasn't too aggressive.

Oliver wrote back, "I'll ask my mom in the morning. If she knows I'm actually working on something, she'll be fine with it."

Drew smiled and thoughtfully wrote back his response. He wanted to play it cool and not be obvious at all. "Sounds good. So see ya tomorrow?"

Oliver wrote back, "Yep. Goodnight."

Drew wrote back, "Goodnight," put his phone down, and snuggled under his covers.

* * *

Sean and Emma were making love in their bed when Emma whispered in Sean's ear, "I can't wait to make another baby with you."

Sean raised his head and smiled, "Yeah?"

Emma nodded, "Yes." Sean peppered her neck with kisses, and she said, "I'd love to have a little girl with you."

Sean pulled away from her neck and said, "I'd be happy with a healthy baby either way."

Emma smiled and kissed him.

* * *

Drew woke up early the next morning and spent time getting ready. He ran up to Sean and Emma's room and knocked on their door.

Sean sat up, and Emma groaned.

"Mom? Dad?"

Emma sat up and covered herself, "Come on in, sweetie."

Drew slid the door open and asked, "Dad, can I borrow some of your hair stuff?"

"Sure, kiddo. It's under the sink on the right."

"Great." Drew went into the bathroom, and Sean shrugged at Emma, who was wondering why Drew suddenly needed to put gel in his hair.

Sean put on his boxer briefs and walked over to the bathroom door, "Is everything okay?"

"Can you help me?"

"Sure. Give it to me." Sean took the gel, poured some into his hands, worked it between his fingers, and started playing around with Drew's hair. "So, what's going on?"

"Nothing, I just felt like looking good for a change."

Sean laughed, "You always look good."

"I invited Oliver over tonight. Is that okay? We won't have time during our free period to work on Perino's project because that's when I'm taking my Lord Of The Flies test, so I figured if he came here after school, we could work on it."

"Okay, take a breath." Drew nodded. "Yes, Oliver can come over after school. That's not a problem."

"Good."

Sean finished and said, "There. That looks good."

Drew looked at himself in the mirror and said, "Wow, that does look good, thanks."

"You're welcome, kiddo. Now get out of here. I have to shower."

Drew nodded, "Thanks again, dad."

"No problem."

Drew walked out of the bathroom, and Emma was fixing the bed. She turned around and said, "You are ready early."

"Oliver's coming over after school. Dad said it's okay."

Emma smiled and said, "Okay."

Drew walked over to the stairs and said, "You can go into the shower with dad now, mom."

Emma giggled, and Drew went down to the kitchen.


	43. Chapter 43

Sean and Emma were getting ready for work when Sean said, "I hope it's okay that I said Oliver could come over today."

Emma smiled and said, "It's perfectly okay. You're his dad, and you live here."

"I know, but I'm not home when he comes home from school." Sean kissed her cheek and walked into the bedroom.

Emma followed him, "I'm having my dad pick Drew up today. I have a busy day lined up, and I won't be home until later."

"Oh?"

Emma nodded and sat on the bed, "I got in touch with this production company that makes slick real estate videos, and I'm meeting with them to see if we can shoot one for the house in Rosedale." Emma grabbed her phone and showed Sean one of their videos while she put on her shoes. She said, "I like the cuts and transitions they do."

Sean held Emma's phone, watched the video, and nodded, "The music is cool too." He watched more of the video and said, "I should make a video about the shop and show people our work."

"Sean! You should! You could put it on the website!"

Sean laughed.

"Why are you laughing at me?"

"You were a little too excited for a Monday morning."

Emma smacked his arm, then she took her phone from him and put it into her work bag.

"Seriously, though, let me know if they know someone who can do that for me. It seems like they only do real estate videos." Emma smiled, and Sean said, "Oh, I nearly forgot, I am interviewing someone Pete knows for the assistant position in the shop."

"Oh yeah?"

Sean nodded, "She goes to school but needs a job to help pay for it."

Emma asked, "Is she cute?"

"No idea. I haven't met her yet." Sean kissed her nose and said, "Doesn't matter. I only have eyes for you."

"Damn right, you do."

"Okay. I gotta go." Sean grabbed his phone and kissed Emma, "Love you."

"Love you."

Sean jogged down the stairs, and Drew was sitting at the kitchen island. "Good luck with your test today, kiddo."

"Thanks, dad."

"See you later." Sean walked out, and Drew took a deep breath.

* * *

A little while later, Emma pulled up to Degrassi and turned to Drew, "Good luck on your test."

"Thanks."

"And good luck with everything else."

Drew asked, "Do I look okay?"

"You look great, sweetie. Really."

"Thanks." He took a deep breath, "I hate that I'm this nervous right now."

"I know you are. Just try to relax, okay? I don't want you so stressed out that you screw up your test."

"I won't. I promise."

Emma said, "I'll be working late, so your grandpa will be dropping you and Oliver off later."

"Oh yeah?"

"So just wait by his office at the end of the day."

Drew nodded, "Okay. See you later."

"Bye, kiddo."

Drew got out of the car, and Maddie walked over to him. Emma waved at them both then pulled away.

'Wow, Nelson, you look…"

Drew looked down at his outfit and asked, "Do I look bad?"

Maddie shook her head, "No. You look different."

"Good different or bad different?"

"Good different."

Drew nodded. "I hate this. I shouldn't be this nervous."

"Why are you so nervous?"

"Oliver is coming over after school so we can work on Perino's project."

"Oh right, you're taking the Lord Of The Flies test during your free period." Drew nodded, "You'll be fine."

"No, there's more."

"Okay."

Drew whispered, "We're going to be at my house alone together."

Maddie smiled and asked, "Hasn't that happened before?"

"Yes, but it's different now. I was suppressing how I felt about him, and now that you and my parents know about me, everything's changed. And it's more real."

Maddie patted Drew's shoulder and said, "You will be fine. I promise."

Ethan walked up to them and said, "Nelson, what's with the hair today?"

"I wanted to do something different."

He snickered, "Oh, you did something different, alright."

Drew rolled his eyes. "Come on. Let's not be late for homeroom."

* * *

Sean sat at his desk and looked through some paperwork from the previous week to make sure everything was okay; there was a knock on his door. "Come in."

Pete opened the door, and a tall blonde walked into the office. "Sean, this is Hannah."

Sean stood up, "Hello, Hannah." He stuck out his hand, and she shook it. "Please sit."

"Thank you."

Pete said, "Well, I'll leave you two alone."

Sean could see the other guys behind Pete looking into the office at Hannah. Sean wanted to roll his eyes but didn't want Hannah to think he was bothered by this interview.

Pete closed the door, and Hannah said, "Oh, this is for you." She reached into her bag and handed Sean her resume. "There's not much, but I do have some administrative experience."

Sean looked at her resume and nodded, "I see that."

She asked, "Would I be the only girl here?"

"For now. I'm looking to expand my roster of mechanics, and I'm hoping to hire a woman or two."

Hannah smiled, "Oh, good."

"And don't worry, if you get the job, I won't allow the guys to do or say anything that would make you uncomfortable."

Hannah nodded as Sean continued to look through her resume. "So, what kind of stuff would you have me do?"

"Well, we have a bunch of work orders to keep track of, billing, payroll. It's all super boring. I do most of it, but my first love is cars, and I'd much rather have more time to work on them and less time to worry about paperwork."

"That's understandable."

Sean said, "I'm sorry. Would you like something to drink? Coffee? Water?"

"No, I'm okay."

"We also have high-profile clients, and we need discretion at all times. I don't need paparazzi trying to get pictures of people we work with."

Hannah raised an eyebrow and asked, "Like who?"

"Can't tell you just yet, but if you get the job, I will."

Hannah smiled and asked, "So if I get the job, will I be in here with you?"

"Uh, yeah. But as I said, I'm hoping that if we fill this position, I won't be in here as much." Sean put her resume down and said, "You'd have a desk. I'd get my computer guy come in and set up a second workstation."

She nodded, "Right."

"And don't worry, the systems are easy to use. Even a dope like me can use them." Hannah smiled, and Sean asked, "Do you have any more questions?"

"What are your hours?"

"Oh, right. That would help. We're open 8:30-5 Monday through Friday and 8:30-noon on Saturdays. We're off on Sundays." Sean said, "Pete said you could only work part-time."

"Well, things have changed so I can work whenever you need me."

"Oh! That's great."

"Does that help my chances?"

Sean smiled and said, "Yes, and it would also raise your salary." Hannah smiled, and Sean stood up, "So I'll call you tomorrow or Wednesday at the latest, to let you know if you got the job."

"Cool." She stood up and shook Sean's hand. "Thanks for the opportunity, Mr. Cameron."

Sean smiled and said, "You're welcome."

Hannah walked out of the office, and Sean sat back down. Pete peeked his head in and said, "So?"

"She seems great."

"Are you going to hire her?"

"We'll see."

"She's hot, right?"

"Pete..."

"Sorry." Pete walked away and Sean shook his head and chuckled.

* * *

When it was time for his free period, Drew headed to Marco's classroom. Drew opened the door, and Marco said, "Hey, Drew. Come on in."

"Hi, Mr. Del Rossi."

He asked, "So are you ready for the test?"

Drew nodded, "I think so."

"Good. Take a seat anywhere."

Drew sat in the middle of the classroom, put his books on the floor, and waited for Marco to hand him the test.

Marco placed the test on Drew's desk face down and said, "Okay, you have 45 minutes starting now. Good luck."

"Thanks."

Drew turned it over and smiled when he saw the first question. He knew the answer.

Drew didn't need the full 45 minutes to take the test, but he spent the last five minutes of the period making sure his answers were right. He felt good about his chances of getting a good grade.

Marco asked, "So, how do you think you did?"

"Pretty well. I didn't have trouble with any of the questions."

"That's great." Marco picked up the test and said, "I'll have your grade for you tomorrow."

"Okay." Drew grabbed his books, stood up, and was about to walk out of the classroom when he stopped and walked back over to Mr. Del Rossi's desk.

Marco asked, "Is everything okay?"

"I told Maddie everything."

"And how did she take it?"

"Well. Too well, actually. Now she wants to set me up with Oliver."

Marco smiled, "Yeah, friends tend to do that once they find out about us."

"And Oliver's coming over to my house later. We're working on a project for Perino that we couldn't do last week because we were both sick."

"By the way, it's good to see you healthy." Drew smiled at Marco, and Marco said, "Wow, that was freaky."

"I looked like my dad again, right?"

"Yes. You always look like your dad, but it's uncanny when you smile."

Drew said, "I'm nervous about being alone with Oliver. Maddie thinks he may like me back, but I'm afraid of finding out either way."

"Oh, I can relate to that problem."

"So, what do I do?"

The bell rang, and Marco said, "You'd better head to your next class. You don't want to be late."

Drew nodded and turned to walk out.

"Hey, Drew." He turned back to Marco, and Marco said, "Come by after the last bell of the day."

Drew nodded and walked out.

* * *

Emma was meeting with the cameraman from the production company for the video shoot and taking him through the home in Rosedale. It had six bedrooms, seven baths, a pool, a pool house, and a detached garage.

David looked around and said, "These are my favorite houses to shoot. They make it easy for me."

Emma nodded and said, "Yeah, this one is pretty special."

"I already know which song to use."

"I looked through some of the videos on your YouTube page while I was waiting in my car earlier, and they're wonderful."

"Thanks."

She asked, "Do you only do real estate videos?"

"For this company, yes, but I have my own small production company that I'm trying to get going. Why?"

"My partner has an auto shop where he repairs cars and customizes them."

"Cameron's Custom Cars?"

Emma smiled, "Yes."

"I know that place. I haven't had to customize a car yet but," He reached into his pocket, took out his business card and handed it to Emma, "Tell him to get in touch with me. I'd love to help him out."

"Great! Thanks so much!" She looked at his card, "I'll have him call you soon." Emma put the card into her phone case and said, "Oh, I'll be talking with the stager tomorrow. She has some ideas for the basement and the master bedroom. I think we can make that space look a lot nicer."

David nodded, "I agree. That needs a bit of sprucing up. I think the backyard should stay as is. I think it sells itself."

"Definitely." Emma nodded, "I'd love to have that pool house."

He chuckled, "Me too."

"So, David, I was hoping we could get this done next week? Say Monday or Tuesday?"

"Tuesday would be better for me. I have a couple of places to shoot on Monday and there across the city from each other."

Emma laughed, "Isn't that always the way?"

David smiled, "Yep."

"Tuesday would be great. And I have all of your info already on my phone, and we will be in touch."

Emma said, "Sounds good." They shook hands. "Talk to you soon, Emma, and I look forward to hearing from your partner."

"Thanks again!"

After David left, Emma called Sean. Sean smiled when we saw Emma was calling him. He walked off the shop floor, into his office, closed his door, and answered, "Hello gorgeous."

"Hi there. How is your day going?"

"It's going pretty well."

Emma asked, "How did the interview with the cute girl go?"

Sean laughed, "Oh, stop."

"Seriously, did it go, okay?"

"It was great. Hannah can work full-time now, so I think I'm going to hire her. And Hannah being here full-time means I can work on cars more."

"That's great, babe."

"And how is your day going? Did you meet with the video guys?"

"I met with one guy, and he said he's excited to shoot this house."

Sean sat back in his chair, "Rosedale, huh? Must be gorgeous."

"It is. I don't want to leave." Sean chuckled, and Emma said, "And I have some news for you."

"You do?"

"I do. So the company we're working with for this listing only does real estate videos."

"Okay."

"But the guy I met with—his name is David. He has his own side business, he knows your shop, and he would love to help you produce something."

"That's incredible, Em!"

"Yep, I have his business card. I'll give it to you later."

"This is very cool. I'm excited."

"Good. I'm glad."

"I'm gonna have to thank you later."

Emma smiled, "Oh yeah."

"Oh yeah."

Emma said, "I can't wait."

Sean smiled, then asked, "Oh! So how was Drew when you dropped him off?"

"He was nervous."

He shook his head, "Poor kid."

They chatted for a few more minutes, then Emma said, "Okay, I have to go. I am taking pictures of all the rooms for the stager. We have some ideas on how to make this house even more sellable."

"Sounds good."

She asked, "What time do you think you'll be home?"

"Probably closer to 7. We're putting the finishing touches on Drake's car."

"Is he picking it up tonight?"

"Nope. Tomorrow so that will be another late night."

"Oh, okay. I have some of that eggplant dish leftover so I may reheat that and make some pasta to go with it."

Sean smiled and said, "I'm sure whatever you make will be great. I'll call you when I'm on the way."

"I love you."

"I love you more."

* * *

"Andrew Nelson, welcome back to class."

Drew looked at Mr. Perino and said, "Uh, thanks."

"We all are waiting with bated breath for your project with Oliver. You'll be ready on Thursday?"

Drew and Oliver looked at each other then looked at Mr. Perino and nodded.

"Good!"

Drew looked down at his notebook, and Oliver watched him for a few moments before looking forward again.

When the class ended, Drew and Oliver walked out together. Drew asked, "My God, have all the projects been that boring?"

Oliver laughed, "Yep. I nearly fell asleep during Sophie and Ava's project."

"What? You didn't want to hear about Coco Chanel?"

"No. I'm not into fashion." He looked down at himself and laughed, "Obviously."

Drew laughed when he noticed a stain on Oliver's shirt. "Please tell me it happened at lunch and that you didn't come to school with a stain on your shirt."

"I plead the fifth."

Drew shook his head.

"So we're meeting by the front office later, right?"

"Yep. My mom is working late, so my grandpa is taking us to my house."

"Okay, see ya after the final bell."

"Oh, I might be a couple of minutes later. Mr. Del Rossi wants to see me."

Oliver asked, "Is everything okay?"

"I hope so."

"Okay, see ya." Drew watched Oliver walk down the hall and disappear around the corner.

Ethan walked up behind him and said, "Nelson, I think I finally figured out who you like."

Drew turned to his locker and opened it, "Oh yeah?"

"Yep. I should have known."

Drew's heartbeat sped up, and he felt clammy.

"Luckily for you, I know the person likes you back."

Drew turned to Ethan and said, "Oh, really."

Ethan nodded, "Yep." He opened his locker, took out a book, thumbed through it, and closed the door. "I've talked to them about you."

"Let me guess; you think I like Sophie or Ava."

"Nope."

"Then, who?"

Ethan leaned forward and said, "It's Oliver."

Drew's heart skipped a beat.

Ethan whispered, "I'm pretty sure he feels the same way about you."

Drew felt faint. "You're not going to say anything, are you?"

"Nope. But I'm cool with it, okay?"

Drew exhaled and leaned against the lockers. "Thank you."

"No problem. I told you about my older brother."

Drew asked, "So you think Oliver might like me?"

"I catch him sneaking looks at you."

Drew nodded, "Maddie said the same thing."

Suddenly, they heard a commotion near Perino's classroom. Ethan turned around and Drew looked past Ethan's shoulder to see the most popular couple in school, Olivia and Travis, yelling at each other as they were making their way down the hall. They usually put on a weekly show but their fights were becoming more frequent.

Ethan joked, "Oh boy, the 'it' couple is fighting again."

Drew shook his head.

Olivia yelled, "So you wouldn't be jealous if another guy was all over me?"

Travis turned to her and said, "No, I wouldn't care!"

"Oh, really?"

"Yep."

Out of nowhere, Olivia grabbed Ethan and started kissing him. The entire crowd who gathered in the hallway to watch their latest spectacle gasped, and Travis said, "That's it! We're through!"

Olivia pulled away from the kiss, Ethan nearly fell into Drew, and she screamed, "Good!" Olivia looked at Ethan, smiled, and said, "That wasn't too bad of a kiss, Ethan."

"Uh, thanks?"

Olivia quickly kissed him again, then turned around and walked in the opposite direction of Travis. Drew laughed at Ethan. "Oliver is going to be so pissed he missed this."

Ethan watched Olivia walk away and asked, "Did that actually happen?"

Drew put his hand on Ethan's shoulder, "It did, loverboy."

Ethan turned back to Drew and asked, "What were we talking about again? Oh, right, you and Oliver."

Drew's eyes bugged out, "Keep your voice down."

"Oh, right, sorry. Anyway, I don't think you have anything to worry about. I think he likes you."

Drew's nerves got the best of him, and he felt like he was going to hyperventilate.

"Dude, are you okay?"

Drew shook his head.

"Are you having a panic attack?"

Drew nodded.

"Okay, deep breaths. Slowly."

Drew remembered what Sean taught him, did the exercises, and he began to feel better.

"Better?"

Drew nodded, "Yeah, sorry."

"It's okay." The bell rang for their last period, and Ethan said, "Good luck later."

"Thanks." Drew slammed his locker shut and jogged to his last class.

* * *

Emma called Archie from her car, "Hey, dad."

"Hey, Em. Is everything okay?"

"Yes. I just wanted to let you know that I can pick up Drew. I got done with everything earlier than expected."

"Oh, good. I mean, I'd like to spend some time with my grandson, but he would have had to wait. I have a couple of students I need to meet with after school."

"Sounds fun."

"Yes, tons."

"Okay, I'm going to hang up with you and text Drew to let him know."

"You got it, kiddo."

Emma ended her call with Archie and pulled her car over. She texted Drew, "I can pick you up, so I'll meet you and Oliver out front."

Drew's phone buzzed as he was on his way to Marco's classroom. He wrote back, "Oh, okay. I may be a couple of minutes late. Mr. Del Rossi wants to talk to me."

Emma read Drew's message and said, "No problem. See you soon."

Drew put his phone back into his pocket and knocked on Marco's door. He opened the door, and Marco smiled at him. "I saw you were in the middle of the Travis and Olivia drama earlier."

Drew rolled his eyes, "Straight couples are ridiculous."

Marco laughed.

"So, you wanted to see me?"

"I just wanted to give you some advice."

"Oh?"

Marco nodded, "I know things seem scary right now, and you're not sure about how Oliver feels about you."

"Ethan told me he thinks Oliver feels the same about me."

Marco asked, "You told Ethan everything?"

Drew shook his head, "He guessed."

"Ah, I see. My advice to you would be to try to act as if everything is normal. Or even wait to see if Oliver makes the first move."

"Oh God, why do I have to be gay?"

Marco laughed and said, "How many times did I ask that question myself."

Drew shook his head, "I'm sorry. I'm a jerk."

"You're not at all, Drew. Being a teenager can suck." Drew smiled, and Marco continued, "It can and adding being gay on top of it? Just let things happen naturally and don't force them, okay? Oliver may like you but also may not be ready to come out just yet."

"I wasn't exactly ready, either."

"I know. Just try not to worry so much. I realize that's easier said than done sometimes."

"But what if he makes a move?"

Marco smiled and said, "Try to breathe and try to relax."

Drew nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Del Rossi."

"You're welcome. Good luck."

Drew nodded and walked out of Marco's classroom.


	44. Chapter 44

As Drew made his way down the hall, he took a deep breath before he turned the corner. He knew where Oliver would be waiting for him, and he hoped he wouldn't start blushing in front of him. When Drew turned the corner, he noticed Oliver standing in front of the school's office talking to Bailey Barrington. Bailey was blonde, she was cute, and Drew hated her right at that second. He felt a pang of jealousy as he watched Oliver and Bailey talking, and he hated that feeling. Oliver saw Drew approaching, said something to Bailey, and she walked away.

Oliver yelled out, "Dude! Why didn't you tell me about Olivia and Ethan?"

Drew felt relief when he realized that's all Oliver and Bailey were discussing. He walked up to Oliver and said, "Uh, because I didn't see you until now?"

"Oh, my God. That must have been hilarious."

Drew smiled and said, "Oh, it was."

"So she really kissed him?"

Drew nodded, "Open mouth and everything."

Oliver shook his head, "I always miss the good stuff." Then he asked, "Are we waiting for your grandpa?"

"Nope. My mom finished work earlier than expected, so she'll be outside."

"Okay, cool." Oliver held up his notebook, "All of our notes so far for the project."

"That's helpful."

Oliver rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, yeah." He put his notebook into his backpack.

Drew laughed and said, "Come on; let's go."

They began to walk together, and Oliver said, "I'm excited to see your new room."

They opened the doors, and Drew said, "It's not done yet. I still have to pick out a paint color. My dad's helping me with that."

"That's cool."

Right on cue, Emma pulled up to the curb. "Oh, there's my mom."

Both boys hopped down the stairs and got into Emma's car.

Emma said, "Hey there."

Oliver said, "Hi Miss Nelson." Then he closed his door.

"Hello, Oliver." She looked at Drew and asked, "So the test was okay?"

Drew nodded, "Yep."

"Good." Emma turned to Oliver and said, "Seatbelt."

Oliver said, "Oh, right." He put it on, and so did Drew.

"Your dad might be a bit late tonight, but I already know what I'm doing for dinner." She pulled away from the curb.

"Okay."

* * *

Sean, Pete, and Jay were working on Drake's car when Jay noticed that Sean looked distracted.

"Yo, Cam, what's up?"

"Huh?"

"You're somewhere else."

Sean looked at him and said, "I am just a little nervous for Drew."

Pete asked, "What's going on?"

Sean stopped working, sat up, and said, "Well, the guy he likes is over at the house right now, and according to Drew's friends Ethan and Maddie, Oliver likes Drew back."

Jay said, "But that's good news, isn't it?"

Sean nodded, "Yes. Drew would be thrilled."

Jay asked, "Is it the 'he likes a boy' thing?"

Sean shook his head, "Not in the way you're thinking."

"So you just want him to be safe."

Sean nodded.

Pete said, "Just be there for him. That's all you can do."

"I know." Sean smiled and said, "You should have seen Drew this morning. He got up early, made sure he looked good, and even had me put gel in his hair."

Jay said, "I love your kid. I really do. I feel protective of him too."

Sean smiled at Jay, "Thanks, man." He stood up and looked at Drake's car, "Looking good, boys."

Jay and Pete joined him. Jay nodded, "Damn right."

Pete asked, "Is Drake coming in tomorrow night?"

Sean nodded, "Yep."

Pete said, "And after this is all over, and Drake tells everyone how awesome our shop is, the business will boom even more."

"Oh," Sean shook his head, "How did I forget this? Emma is working with a production company to shoot a video for her latest listing in Rosedale."

Jay said, "Rosedale?" Then he whistled.

Sean nodded, "Yeah, it's an 8 million dollar house."

"Wow!"

"But that's not the news. The guy shooting the video has his own production business on the side, and he told Em he could shoot a video about the shop that we could put up on the website."

Jay smiled, "Cameron, that's a great idea."

Sean nodded, "I've seen some of his work, and if he can make some of those 15-foot wide, semi-detached houses look like you'd want to pay $5-6 million for them, I think he can do wonders for the shop."

Pete asked, "When are you going to call him?"

"Tomorrow. Emma has his card."

Pete asked, "Will we have to make ourselves look nice?"

Sean laughed, "I don't think so. I think we'll just focus on the cars."

Jay joked, "Maybe we can have Hannah pose on the cars."

Sean shook his head, "Dude, that's not even funny. I already told her I would nip that shit in the bud."

"Oh, come on."

Sean shook his head again, "No way. I don't want, nor do I need the lone female in the shop being sexually harassed daily."

Jay shook his head, "You're no fun."

"Yeah, I know." Sean looked at him and said, "Aren't you leaving for LA soon, anyway?"

"Yes, but in the meantime, I want something pretty to look at."

Sean laughed, "You never change, Hogart."

Jay smiled, "I know."

* * *

"Nelson, this is so cool."

Drew looked around his room and said, "Thanks. As I said, we're probably painting this wall red." He pointed to the wall behind his bed.

"You're all alone down here, so you can do whatever you want."

"Yeah, and there are now two floors between my parents having sex and me trying not to listen to them having sex." Drew shuddered, and Oliver laughed, "I'm not kidding."

"I don't think my parents do it anymore." Oliver scrunched his face and said, "God, I hope not."

"Your parents are older than mine. Mine were still teenagers when I was born. And my parents just got together after being apart for so long. I guess they're making up for all the time they lost."

Oliver nodded. "You haven't walked in on them, have you?"

"God, no, but I've heard them."

"And did you want to die?"

Drew nodded, "Yes. I also blasted the TV."

Oliver laughed.

"Anyway, let's get started on this project. Perino is expecting it to be bad like everyone else's, so let's do the exact opposite."

Oliver sat down on the edge of Drew's bed while Drew sat at his desk. "That would be something. I don't think I've gotten higher than a C+ in Perino's class."

Drew smiled at him and said, "I think we can beat that."

Oliver smiled back, and they looked at each other for a little longer than they meant to, and Drew whipped himself back around toward his computer. He rolled his eyes out of Oliver's sight and said, "Let me have your notebook."

"Oh, right." Oliver reached for his bag, unzipped it, and grabbed the notebook with all the information they had written down. He handed it to Drew, and Drew thanked him.

Suddenly Drew asked, "Do you want anything to drink? I'm thirsty."

"Sure."

"We have root beer."

"Yeah, that's cool.'

"Okay, be right back." Drew walked out of his room and nearly sprinted up to the kitchen.

Emma was at her desk when she heard Drew close the basement door and walk into the kitchen. "What do you need, sweetie?"

"I'm just getting some root beer."

"Oh, okay. Do you want some chips or something?"

"We have some?"

"Yep." Emma got up and walked into the kitchen. She opened the pantry, reached in, and grabbed a bag. "Your dad had bought me stuff last week, and I didn't get to eat them all."

"Cool."

She asked, "Is everything okay?"

"I'm just nervous."

Emma placed her hands on Drew's shoulders and said, "It'll be okay. I promise. Just get through the project."

Drew nodded and said, "Thanks, mom."

"You're welcome."

He walked to the basement door and said, "Uh, can you help me?"

Emma giggled, "Sure." She opened the door, and he walked downstairs with the drinks and chips.

Drew walked back into his room, and Oliver was standing up again, looking at Drew's signed jersey.

"Man, I still can't believe your dad got this for you. He's so cool."

Drew smiled and said, "Yeah, he is. Um, we had some chips."

"Oh, cool."

"Instead of sitting on my bed, why don't you just pull that chair over? This way, I won't have to turn around, and you won't have to lean forward."

Oliver smiled and said, "Good idea."

Drew sat down at his desk, and Oliver sat next to him. Drew looked at the notebook and said, "Okay, Dr. James Naismith."

"Whoa, he was a doctor?"

Drew chuckled, "Yes. He was a lot of things."

"That's cool."

Drew smiled and started typing on his computer.

"Wait, before you start, you need to tell me exactly what happened with Ethan and Olivia."

Drew shook his head, "Well, Travis and Olivia were fighting."

"Shocker."

"Exactly. And they were walking down the hall yelling at each other, and she said something like, 'so you wouldn't care if another guy was all over me?' and he said 'no' and out of nowhere she grabs Ethan and kisses him. I mean, really kisses him. Tongues and everything."

Oliver laughed.

"When she pulled away, Ethan nearly fell into me, Travis I think dumped her and then she told Ethan he was a pretty good kisser, kissed him again and walked away. It was incredible."

Oliver shook his head and asked, "Why do I always miss the good stuff?"

Drew shrugged, "I guess you're unlucky or something."

Oliver scoffed then said, "They really kissed with tongues?"

"Well, Olivia did. Poor Ethan was probably too shocked to do anything."

Oliver nodded, "I suppose that would happen if someone suddenly kissed you out of nowhere."

Drew shrugged, "I wouldn't know about that."

"Heh, yeah, me either."

"It's probably different if you like the person." They shared another look that was too long for either of them to handle, and Drew turned back to his computer then said, "Okay, we need to work on this project."

Oliver nodded but said nothing.

* * *

Emma was busy cooking the pasta for dinner when Sean walked through the front door.

"You're home early!"

"Yep, we finished sooner than expected." He hung up his jacket and walked toward the kitchen, "Is everything okay?"

"I think so."

Sean looked toward the basement door, "Why am I so nervous about this?"

Emma smiled, "Because you love your son and want the best for him."

"Yeah." He looked at the stove, "Is dinner almost ready?"

"Yep. Like five more minutes."

"Great. I'm going to go upstairs and take a quick shower. I'll be back."

"Okay."

Sean jogged up the stairs, and Emma looked toward the basement door, wondering what was happening with Drew and Oliver.

* * *

"Okay!" Drew finished typing. "This is an excellent start. I think if we work on this during our free period tomorrow and Wednesday, we'll definitely have it ready to go for Thursday's class. I can copy it to a thumb drive."

Oliver said, "Cool."

Drew smiled and said, "I think I can smell dinner, so we should probably head upstairs."

"Yeah."

Drew stood up, and Oliver followed him. "Um, I think we have some leftovers from last night, but they were good."

Oliver shrugged, "That's cool. As long as I'm fed, I don't care what it is."

Drew laughed and walked into the bathroom to wash his hands.

"Man, you have your own bathroom too. That's so cool."

"Yeah, but I had my own bathroom upstairs too, it just wasn't attached to my room."

Oliver stood next to him, and Drew handed him his soap. "Do you think your parents will have another kid?"

Drew nodded, "Yeah, they already asked me about it."

"You wouldn't mind being nearly 15 years older than your brother or sister?"

"Nah. Plus, they'll have their hands full with an infant, so I'll have even more freedom." Drew dried off his hands, and Oliver did the same.

"I'm jealous."

"Well, if you need a place to hang out and crash, you can always stay here."

"Thanks."

Drew smiled and walked out of the bathroom. Oliver rolled his eyes, dried his hands, and followed Drew up into the kitchen.

Emma smiled and asked, "How's everything going?"

Drew said, "Good. I think we might make Perino not hate our presentation."

Emma laughed, "That's about all you can hope from him. Not much has changed since your dad, and I were in Degrassi, huh?"

"Nope." Sean walked down the stairs, and Drew asked, "I thought you were going to be late?"

"We finished early." Sean looked at Oliver and said, "Hey, Oliver. Good to see you."

"Hi, Mr. Cameron."

Emma said, "Why don't you boys sit down?"

Drew and Oliver did what they were told, and Sean walked into the kitchen, "Need help?"

"You can carry their plates in, and I'll carry ours."

"You got it."

Sean and Emma served everyone and sat down. It was quiet at the table for a few moments until Oliver took a bite of the eggplant.

"Wow, Miss Nelson, this is good."

"Oh yeah?" Oliver nodded, "I'm glad you like it."

Sean took a bite and said, "Yeah, it almost tastes better the second day."

"Good to know."

Drew ate but didn't talk much, which worried both Sean and Emma. They didn't want to act like anything was out of the ordinary, so Sean decided to talk about Drake's car to get Drew to interact with everyone.

"So, we're just about done working on Drake's car."

Oliver said, "Mr. Cameron, that's so cool. Is Drake nice?"

"He seems okay. We didn't talk very long."

Oliver nodded. 'That's still so cool. Maybe when you're done with this car, you can work on one of his other cars. They say he has like 12 of them."

Sean said, "Oh yeah?"

Oliver nodded again. "That must be so cool to have a choice of 12 different cars."

Drew smiled to himself, and Sean noticed. He took a mental note of it and wanted to ask Drew about it after Oliver left. Sean said, "I would imagine it would be cool."

Oliver asked, "Am I talking too much?"

Sean shook his head, "No, Oliver, you're fine."

"Okay. My parents say I talk too much. Oh, and that I say cool too much."

Sean said, "I say it a lot too. Don't worry."

Drew looked at Sean and smiled. He realized what his dad was doing, and he appreciated it. "So mom, that house you went to today, how much is it again?"

"8 million."

Oliver asked, "8 million dollars? Does Drake live there?"

Sean laughed, "I think Drake built his house, and it's worth way more than that."

Emma said, "He's out on Bridle Path with all the other celebrities, right?"

Sean nodded, "I think so."

Drew said, "I saw something that said his bed was nearly $400K."

Emma scoffed, "That's ridiculous! It's a bed! People live in houses that don't even cost that much!"

Drew laughed at his mom.

"Why are you laughing?"

Drew shook his head, "I don't know. You just seem so mad."

"I'm not mad; I'm just astounded. A $400K bed? What is it made of? What if someone has an accident in it? He has a kid, right? Kids can have accidents."

Sean also laughed at Emma.

"What?"

Sean shook his head, "Nothing, but would you like me to ask Drake about the bed tomorrow when I see him?" Emma started laughing, and then she smacked Sean. "Hey, watch it."

Oliver looked at them and said, "You have such cool parents. My parents are old and boring."

Emma said, "I've met your mom. She seems nice."

Oliver shrugged, "She's okay, I guess."

Emma asked, "Do you need me to drive you home later?"

"No, my mom is coming to get me."

Emma smiled, "Okay, sweetie."

It was quiet for a few moments, then Oliver said, "There was a big commotion at school today, but I missed it."

Sean asked, "A commotion?"

Drew nodded, "Yeah, the most popular couple in school, Travis and Olivia broke up for the 800th time, and Olivia kissed Ethan out of nowhere."

Sean laughed and asked Drew, "Your friend, who was at your party?"

"Yep."

Oliver said, "I missed the whole thing. I always miss good fights."

Emma said, "Oh boy, Degrassi fights. We've seen our share of them."

Sean joked, "Hell, I was in a few of them."

Drew said, "You and uncle Jay, right?"

"Yep and me and this guy Jimmy. Your mom and this girl Alex."

"Oh, no." Emma put her head down.

Drew asked, "Mom? You got into a fight?"

She looked up. "Yes, and I'm pretty sure I won." Emma continued and said, "Let's get back to Ethan and Olivia. So she just grabbed him and kissed him in front of everyone?"

Drew nodded, "Yep. He nearly fell into me when she stopped kissing him."

Emma giggled, "Oh my goodness."

Drew shook his head, "It was ridiculous." He turned to Oliver and said, "How much do you want to bet that Travis and Olivia are back together by the end of the week?"

Oliver scoffed, "End of the week? They'll be back together by the end of the day tomorrow."

Drew laughed and said, "Yeah, you're probably right."

Emma and Sean watched as the boys laughed, and Sean felt a bit better about everything because Drew worried him at first. Sean stood up and said, "I need a refill. Does anyone else need anything?"

Emma, Drew, and Oliver said different variations of no, and Sean went into the kitchen to get himself more water. As he stood at the island, he watched from afar as Oliver sneaked looks at Drew, and he smiled. Sean could see it. Oliver did like Drew back. When he walked back to the table, Sean sat down, grabbed Emma's hand, and held it.

"Is everything okay?"

Sean nodded, "Yep, everything's fine."

* * *

After dinner, Drew and Oliver helped clear the table. When they were finished, Oliver said, "I should probably text my mom to let her know to come and pick me up."

Emma asked, "Are you sure I can't drive you home?"

"Yeah, it's fine. Plus, it'll take her a little while to get here, so I don't have to rush."

Emma smiled and said, "Okay."

Drew said, "Yeah, maybe we can play some Fortnite."

"Okay!"

"Can we, mom?"

"As long as you have finished your work."

He nodded and said, "We have."

"Well, then knock yourselves out."

Drew and Oliver headed down to the basement, and Sean walked over to Emma. "He likes Drew."

"What?"

Sean nodded, "Earlier, I caught him sneaking looks."

"Are you sure?"

"Em, he looks at Drew the way you used to look at me."

Emma smiled and clasped her hands together, "Really?"

Sean nodded. "I don't think anything's happened. They both seem too shy, but I could see it."

"You're not going to say anything, are you?"

Sean shook his head, "No way. I don't want Drew to get even more nervous."

"Okay." She squealed, "This is so exciting."

Sean laughed at her and said, "I love you, you goofball."

Emma quickly kissed him and said, "I love you too."

* * *

Oliver was gathering his books and putting them in his bag while Drew watched. Oliver's mother had just texted that she was about two minutes away. "So, you said you'd put everything on a thumb drive, right?

Drew opened his desk drawer, pulled out a thumb drive, and said, "Yep." He plugged into it the USB port on his computer, clicked a couple of times, and the work was saved onto the drive.

Oliver smiled at him. "You know, it's good that you care about school work now; otherwise would have been in big trouble with this project."

Drew laughed, "Yeah, well, I want to make my dad proud."

Oliver nodded, "I think he is proud of you already."

Drew nodded.

"Anyway," He grabbed his jacket and put it on. "I'd better get out there."

"Okay."

"So, I'll see you tomorrow."

Drew nodded and said, "Yep."

Oliver was about to walk out when suddenly, he turned around, stepped up to Drew, and crashed his lips into Drew's. Drew nearly pulled away but remembered what Maddie said about kissing, and he kissed Oliver back. It lasted about five more seconds before Oliver pulled away. He said, "Yeah, I gotta go." Then ran out of Drew's room, up the stairs and through the house, "Bye Miss Nelson!"

Emma laughed as Oliver ran out of the house. "Uh, bye Oliver!"

Sean looked at her and asked, "What the hell was that?"

Drew walked upstairs and looked at his parents.

Emma asked, "Sweetie, are you okay?"

Drew nodded, "I think so."

Sean asked, "Are you sure?"

"He kissed me." Sean and Emma looked at each other then back at Drew, who continued, "He kissed me, then he freaked out, and ran out of my room."

Emma stood up and asked, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah? No? I don't know."

Emma smiled, "So he kissed you?"

Drew nodded, "He was about to walk out, he turned around, and the next thing I knew we were kissing. Then right as I was starting to get over the shock and right as I started to kiss him back, he freaked out and ran."

Sean said, "But this is a good thing, right? He kissed you, so that means he likes you."

"Yeah." Emma walked over to him and said, "He was probably afraid of your reaction."

"He didn't even give me time to react! It was like a drive-by kiss!" Drew walked over to the loveseat and put his head in his hands.

Emma sat next to Drew and said, "I'm afraid even to ask this, but did you like it?"

"For the few seconds I kissed him back, yes."

Emma rubbed Drew's back and smiled at Sean. "Well, that's good."

"I can't believe this." He raised his head, looked at Sean, and asked, "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

"Yes, I already told you I'm fine with this. I just want you to be happy, kiddo."

"Well, I am, and I'm not."

Emma said, "You are because the boy you like kissed you, but you're not because the kiss wasn't long enough."

"Yes. Ugh." Drew put his head back into his hands, and Emma continued to rub his back.


	45. Chapter 45

Sean and Emma hung out with Drew in the living room for the rest of the night. He didn't say much, and they didn't want to force him to talk. So other than making some comments about the houses they were watching on HGTV, it was a quiet evening.

"I think I'm going to take a shower and go to bed."

Emma smiled and said, "Okay, sweetie."

He stood up and looked at his parents, "Thank you for being so understanding."

Emma stood up and hugged him, "We love you, kiddo."

Sean followed Emma with a hug of his own for Drew, "I know it's easier said than done but try to get some sleep tonight, okay?"

Drew nodded as he pulled away. He headed to the basement door and smiled before he walked downstairs.

Emma grabbed Sean's hand, "Oh my God, Sean, this is happening."

Sean lifted her hand and kissed it, "Yep. It's happening."

She turned to him, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes. Are you?"

She nodded, "I'm just worried. Drew's starting to get his grades up, and I don't want anything to ruin that for him."

"Well, we'll make sure that doesn't happen."

Drew went down to his room and saw the LED light on his phone, flashing in blue. That meant he had a text. He took a deep breath before he picked up the phone. He swiped it to unlock it and saw Oliver's name.

"Sorry, I ran out. We'll talk tomorrow."

Oliver sent the message three hours earlier. Drew wrote back immediately and said, "It's okay. And I didn't see this until now. Stupid phone. See ya tomorrow."

Drew wasn't expecting a message back, so he went straight into the bathroom, got undressed, and stepped into the shower.

Oliver wrote a text back while Drew was in the shower, "Goodnight."

Drew wasn't in the shower long, he just wanted to rinse the day off himself and the gel out of his head. He was mentally exhausted after everything that happened, and he couldn't wait to pass out. After he finished getting ready for bed, he looked at Oliver's message, turned his phone over and replayed the kiss over and over in his head.

* * *

Sean was sitting up in bed, waiting for Emma to finish getting ready. When she stepped into the room, he smiled at her. He said, "What a day, huh?"

"Are you as exhausted as I am?" She climbed into bed and cuddled up against Sean.

"Yes."

"I can't believe Oliver kissed Drew."

"I can."

Emma looked up at him, "You were right."

"There was no mistaking the looks he was giving Drew."

"So it was like me and how I used to look at you, huh?"

Sean smiled, "Yes. And how I used to look at you. Especially when we were in Grade 12. Well, when you were in Grade 12. I was only there for a few days."

"Our boy is growing up."

"Yep. This must be a lot for you."

She asked, "Why just me?"

"Well, you've raised him this whole time. I just got here, and that's not a knock, it's a fact. I haven't been dealing with this for long. It's all new to me."

"This is all new to me too. At least the part about Drew changing from moody teenager to mooning teenager who has a crush on someone." She kissed his chest and said, "I'm so glad you're here now."

Sean kissed her hair, "So am I."

* * *

Sean woke up the next morning and went straight into the shower; he wanted to get to the shop early so he, Pete, and Jay could make sure everything was up to snuff with Drake's car. Emma woke up while Sean was in the shower, and as she was stretching, she realized she never gave Sean David's card. They were both caught up in what was happening with Drew and Oliver the night before, and she forgot to provide Sean with David's info.

Emma got up, walked to her bag, and grabbed David's card from the inside pocket. She looked around for Sean's wallet and found it on his nightstand. She opened it and put David's card in Sean's wallet, then closed it and put it back. "There!" She smiled and walked over to the bathroom door.

"Babe?"

Sean turned and opened the shower door, "Everything okay?"

"Yes. I put David's card in your wallet."

Sean's heart skipped a beat, "In my wallet?"

"Yep. I'm going downstairs to make you some breakfast."

He smiled and said, "Okay, I'll be out soon."

She winked at him and closed the bathroom door. Sean quickly finished showering, grabbed a towel, and went into the bedroom. He opened his wallet and exhaled. Emma didn't see the ring sketch. "Oh, thank God."

He got ready for work and made his way downstairs.

"Good morning, beautiful. I'm sorry if I woke you."

"It's okay. I wanted to make breakfast for my boys."

Sean smiled and said, "Well, now I feel bad because I was planning on heading out early so we can double-check everything on Drake's car. I need this to go well."

"It will because you're the best." Emma grabbed a plastic container and said, "Here, I can give this to you to bring to work."

"Thank you, babe."

"You're welcome."

Sean walked over to her and kissed her cheek, "I love you."

"I love you too." She handed him his breakfast and said, "You can probably heat it in the microwave if you need to."

"I'll probably eat it on the way."

She smiled and said, "Well, be careful."

"I will." He walked toward the front door and grabbed his jacket, "See you later. And call me if you need me."

"Okay. Bye, babe."

"Bye."

Sean walked out, and Emma looked toward the basement door. Yesterday at this time, Drew was already dressed and ready to go. She walked down to the basement and knocked on his door. "Sweetie?"

"Yeah?" He opened the door, dressed and nearly ready to go.

"Oh, hi. I made you breakfast."

Drew smiled, "Thanks."

"How are you feeling?"

"Better. Oliver texted me last night saying he was sorry for running away and that he wanted to talk today."

Emma nodded, "That's good!"

"Yeah."

Emma tucked some of his hair behind his ear, "Come upstairs soon, so you can eat, and then I'll drop you off at school."

Drew nodded, "Okay."

* * *

When Emma pulled up to Degrassi, she noticed Oliver was sitting on the stairs.

"There's Oliver."

Drew said, "Oh, God."

"Sweetie, you'll be fine."

"Mom, I feel like I'm going to puke."

Emma reached over and grabbed Drew's hand, "Andrew, deep breaths."

Drew took a couple of deep breaths and turned to his mom, "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now go, say hi to your friend and get your butt to homeroom."

Drew smiled and nodded, "See you later."

"Have a good day, kiddo."

Drew opened the door, grabbed his bag off the floor of the car, smiled again at his mom, and closed the door. Oliver stood up and walked over to him.

"Hey."

"Hey."

Oliver asked, "Can we talk before homeroom?"

Drew nodded, "Sure."

Emma watched as the two boys walked up the stairs together, then she looked up toward the sky and said, "Please let them be okay."

Drew and Oliver walked into the Degrassi lobby, and Oliver motioned towards the stairs to the left. Drew followed him, and they stood under the staircase, away from everyone.

Oliver took a deep breath, "Drew, I like you."

Drew smiled.

"And I'm assuming you like me too."

"I wouldn't have kissed you back if I didn't."

Oliver smiled, "Cool." He lowered his voice and said, "Um, I'm not sure if I'm ready to be out at school yet."

Drew nodded, "I understand. I don't think I'm ready either."

Oliver asked, "Have you told anyone?"

"My parents and Maddie. Ethan figured it out on his own."

"Yeah, he did with me too."

Drew shook his head, "It must be because of his brother."

Oliver smiled, "Yeah, maybe." He asked, "And your parents are okay with it?"

"They're more than okay with it."

"I can't tell my parents. Not yet."

Drew asked, "So, what does this mean for us?"

Oliver shrugged, "I'm not sure, but I wanted you to know that I meant to kiss you yesterday, and I don't regret it, but I'm sorry I ran out. I just got scared."

Drew nodded.

"I'm sorry if I screwed up your first real kiss."

"You didn't screw it up. It just wasn't long enough." Drew smiled and Oliver blushed.

"Man, this is weird. I was so afraid you didn't feel the same way about me."

"Same."

"So, we both were freaking out for no reason."

Drew nodded, "Yep."

The first bell rang, and Oliver rolled his eyes, "Ugh. We're meeting during our free period, right?"

"Yep, and if you want, we can meet for lunch too."

Oliver smiled, "I'd like that."

Drew blushed, and he said, "Okay."

Oliver leaned forward and said, "I wish I could kiss you right now to make up for last night."

Drew's stomach flipped and he looked down at the floor, "Me too."

"This sucks."

Drew looked up, glanced beyond Oliver's shoulder, and saw his grandfather pointing at his wrist. "I gotta go. My grandpa just spotted me."

Oliver nodded, "Okay, see you later."

"Bye."

Drew walked toward his grandpa and said, "We were making plans to work on our project for Perino's class."

"That's fine. I just don't want you to be late for homeroom."

"I won't!" Drew walked past him and walked down the hall toward his locker. When he reached it, Maddie was already at hers. She smiled at him, and he asked, "What's that look for?"

"I saw you and Oliver talking, and you looked cozy."

Drew lowered his voice, "He kissed me last night."

Maddie squealed and yelled out, "Oh my God! Are you serious?"

"Maddie, shut up."

"That was so loud. I'm sorry."

Drew shook his head.

"How was it?"

"Rushed. He freaked out and ran. But he apologized this morning."

Maddie smiled, "Are you a couple now?"

"We had a five-second kiss, and we still have to talk about how we're feeling. Plus that whole, 'we're not sure if we even want to come out' thing." He turned to her and said, "We're meeting at lunch, and we're working on our project for Perino during our free period."

"Invite him over again. Not tonight. Tomorrow."

"You think so?"

"Yes."

The second bell rang.

Maddie shut her locker and said, "Ah crap, late again."

"Ugh." Drew slammed his locker shut and ran with Maddie toward homeroom.

* * *

Sean and Jay were in his office waiting for Pete, who was running late, "Man, my heart stopped when she said she put the card in my wallet, but I could tell she didn't see the sketch of the ring."

Jay smiled, "Have you come up with a proposal plan?"

Sean shook his head, "Nope. Not yet. I don't know why I'm having so much trouble with this."

"It will come to you. I also think having the ring will help."

Sean smiled and said, "You didn't need a ring."

"True."

"Oh, I have news."

Jay raised an eyebrow.

"Oliver does like Drew."

"Really?"

Sean nodded, "Yep. I could see him sneaking looks at dinner last night. It was like me with Emma or Emma with me when we were younger."

"And how did it make you feel?"

"I was thrilled for Drew. Honestly. He was so worried and stressed about it, and it turns out he had nothing to worry about."

"How did Oliver tell him?"

"Well, he didn't tell him; he showed him."

"They kissed?!"

Sean nodded.

"Are you okay with that?"

Sean nodded, "Yes."

"Did he like it?"

"He was disappointed it was so quick."

"Well, I mean, most first kisses are sloppy and gross because we don't know what the hell we're doing."

Sean scoffed, "Speak for yourself."

"Your first kiss was good?"

He shrugged, "It wasn't bad."

"Lucky."

Pete knocked on Sean's door and peeked in, "Sorry I'm late. The apartment above me had a flood in their bathroom, which traveled down to my bathroom and down to the bathroom below. It was a fucking mess."

Sean shook his head, "That sucks."

"Yeah. So are we ready?"

Sean stood up, "Yep. We're in the home stretch, boys."

Jay asked, 'What time is he coming by tonight?"

"7."

"Oh, that's plenty of time for us to wrap this baby up in a bow."

Sean smiled. "Yep. And then we celebrate."

* * *

Emma met with her boss Dylan to tell him her plans for the house in Rosedale.

"This is why you're my number agent, Emma."

She smiled, "I really think we can market this house with the video and get it sold quickly."

"Sounds good!" He asked, "So what are your plans for the Indian Road house commission? Your son is too young for a car, right?"

"Yes. Drew's only 14. I'm thinking of helping out my mom. Her salon needs renovating, badly. I don't think it's been touched since the '90s." Dylan chuckled and Emma continued, "She'll probably say no at first, but she was a teen mom, and I wouldn't be the woman I am today without her, so she's going to have to accept my help."

Dylan smiled, "That's nice. Oh! We're having an event on Friday night at the new project in Riverdale."

"35 Baseball?"

Dylan nodded, "Yep. Bring Sean!"

Emma smiled, "What's the dress code?"

"He doesn't have to wear a suit or anything. Sweater, jeans. Nothing too crazy."

Emma nodded, "Okay. Thanks."

* * *

"Hey, Drew. I have your test for you."

Drew walked up to Marco's desk.

"You only missed one question. Nice job."

Drew grabbed the test from him and looked at it in disbelief, "I thought I knew a lot, but I didn't think I knew _that_ much."

"Well, you did. Now let's see if you can match this feat after you read _The Great Gatsby_."

"Thanks, Mr. Del Rossi." Drew walked back to his desk and held up his test for Maddie, who gave him a thumbs up.

After class, Maddie and Drew walked to their lockers with their copies of The Great Gatsby. "You're carrying yourself differently."

Drew turned to her, "Am I?"

"Yep."

Ethan walked up behind them, stepped in between Drew and Maddie and put his arms around them, "So, Nelson, I hear your night was interesting last night."

Drew asked, "Oh, what did you hear?"

"Oliver called me freaking out after he got home from your place."

"Great. Soon the entire school is going to know."

"Nope. I would never do that. But I want you to know I'm happy for the two of you."

"Okay, don't be happy yet. I don't even know what this is."

Ethan stopped walking and said, "What?"

Drew turned back to him and whispered, "Neither of us is ready to come out yet. It's not like we can suddenly start walking around school holding hands."

Maddie said, "Who cares what everyone else thinks? You wouldn't be the first gay couple at Degrassi." Drew's eyes bugged out. "I was loud again, wasn't I?"

Drew shook his head, "Yes."

Ethan asked, "Do you and Oliver want to be left alone at lunch?"

"Yes, if that's okay."

Ethan nodded, "Yep. I need to hide from Travis anyway."

Maddie snickered and said, "By the way, has Olivia tried to kiss you yet today?"

"Nope. I'm guessing she and Travis will be back together by lunch."

"Good point." She looked at Drew and said, "Straight couples."

Drew laughed.

"Don't forget what I said earlier."

Drew looked at her and shrugged his shoulders.

"Invite him over again tomorrow. To work on your project."

Drew asked, "You don't think it's too much?"

"Um, no? If you can't be a couple here, you can at least be one at your house."

"Okay, let's not get ahead of ourselves. This is new to both of us. We can't rush into anything."

Ethan scoffed, "Nelson, Oliver's liked you since the day he met you."

Drew asked, "Are you serious?"

"Man, you are so oblivious. You didn't know this one liked you either." He pointed at Maddie, and she rolled her eyes.

Drew shut his locker. "I gotta go. See you later."

Maddie yelled out, "Good luck!"

Drew rolled his eyes and kept walking down the hall.

Ethan closed his locker and said, "Ah, young love."

Maddie laughed, and they walked to class together.

* * *

Emma called Sean around lunchtime.

Sean answered his phone and walked into his office, "Hey, babe. How are you?"

"I'm good. How's your day going?"

"Good, we're all done with the car. Now we wait." He sat at his desk and asked, "How did Drew seem when you dropped him off?"

"He was a wreck. Oliver was waiting for him on the stairs."

"He was?"

"Yep."

"Oh, boy. I hope his day has been okay."

"So do I. Oh, I was calling to tell you that we're invited to a work event on Friday evening."

"Oh yeah?" Sean laughed and asked, "Please tell me I don't have to wear a suit."

Emma laughed and said, "No. Just a pair of jeans and a sweater are fine. It's at the new complex 35 Baseball."

"Oh yeah, over by Broadview."

"You got it."

"I can't believe how built up it is over that way."

Emma said, "Yeah, I kind of hate it. I liked it better when Riverdale wasn't filled with glass condos."

Sean smiled, "I agree."

"Felt more like a small town. Now it looks like downtown."

They chatted for a few minutes until Pete peeked his head into Sean's office.

"Em, I gotta go."

"Okay, well, good luck later."

"Thanks."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

Drew walked into the caf and looked around for Oliver. When he spotted him, he smiled. Oliver looked up from _The Great Gatsby_ and nodded at Drew.

"Hey."

"Hey." Drew put down his books and said, "Let me grab a sandwich, and I'll be right back."

"Okay."

Drew walked up to the counter, and Maddie bumped into him.

"Hello."

"You are acting so weird today, Allen."

She smiled, "I can't help it."

Drew said, "I am not looking forward to _The Great Gatsby_."

Maddie asked, "Why not?"

"I skimmed through it, and it's a lot."

"How so?"

"The words. They're fancy."

She smiled, "Oh, you mean it's flowery prose?"

Drew shrugged, "Like I know? _Lord Of The Flies_ was one of the first books I actually read all the way through for school."

Maddie laughed. "Well, if you have trouble with Gatsby, let me know. I've already read it."

"You read it for fun?"

"Yes?"

"You geek."

"Oh, shut up."

Drew grabbed his sandwich, "Please try not to make things obvious, okay?"

"I won't. I'll be across the caf from you guys."

Drew handed the cashier the money for the sandwich, and when he got his change back, he said to Maddie, "Wish me luck."

"Good luck, lover boy."

"Madison, I'm seriously going to kill you."

She smiled, "Sorry, not sorry."

Drew shook his head and made his way back to the table and Oliver. Oliver looked up from the book and Drew said, "Man, _The Great Gatsby_ looks like no fun."

Oliver laughed, "I'm so screwed." He put the book down.

Drew sat down, unwrapped his sandwich, and opened his drink. "So, how has your day been so far?"

"Fine." Oliver sighed, "I hate how weird this is."

Drew nodded, "Me too."

"I like you. You like me. We should be able to let everyone know it." Drew nodded again. "But some people are still jackasses. My parents included."

"Right."

"I don't think anyone would mess with us here. You are the principal's grandson."

"I wonder how my grandpa would react."

"He doesn't know?"

Drew shook his head, "Nope." He took a sip of his water then asked, "Your parents would be jerks about it?"

Oliver nodded, "Yeah, I heard my mom say something pretty nasty about Braden's dads once. So I kind of suppressed everything for a while."

Drew lowered his voice and said, "The reason I came out to my dad was because of his reaction to hearing about Braden's dads."

"Really?"

He nodded, "He was cool about everything."

"You're lucky. I wish I had your parents."

Drew smiled and said, "Oh, I came up with an idea for the Perino project."

"Oh yeah?"

He nodded, "We can talk about that next period, but um, I was wondering if you'd want to come over to my house again tomorrow night?"

"To work on the project?"

"Well, yes and no."

Oliver smiled and said, "Yes."


	46. Chapter 46

When Archie had a free moment, he called Emma from his office. Emma was driving in her car, having just left the house in Rosedale. She saw the call was from Archie and pulled her car over onto a side street just outside of Rosedale.

She answered and said, "Hey, dad, is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine. I just wanted to ask you something."

"Okay," Emma knew what was coming and waited for the question.

Archie asked, "Is something going on with Drew?"

Emma pretended not to know what Archie was alluding to and asked, "Going on? Like what?"

"Em, I saw him huddled in a corner with Oliver this morning, and it didn't look like a normal conversation between two best friends."

"Oh?"

"Drew had a look on his face I haven't seen in years."

Emma smiled and asked, "What do you mean?"

"It's the look Sean used to give you when you were teenagers."

"Dad, I think you should talk to Drew."

Archie shook his head, "He likes Oliver and Oliver likes him. I can't believe I didn't see this sooner!"

Emma asked, "Are you okay with this?"

"Of course, I am." Archie asked, "I'm assuming he's talked to you and Sean about it?"

"Yep. Drew actually came out to Sean before me."

That answer surprised Archie, "Really?"

"Yep. Only about 10 minutes before, but Sean was so great with him. He's an amazing father."

Archie smiled, "I knew he would be. So how long have you known?"

"We've only known since Drew's birthday weekend. So not very long."

"I see."

Emma said, "I think you should talk to Drew. Just let him know that you figured it out on your own."

"Okay."

Emma asked, "So is that all?"

"Yes."

Emma said, "I'd better go. I have to get back to my office and do some things before I pick up Drew from school."

"Sounds good, kiddo."

"Bye, dad."

"Bye."

Emma hung up the phone and smiled.

* * *

Drew and Oliver were busy working on their presentation in the media room. They were putting everything in order, and Drew had the idea of including recent basketball shots in the slides.

Oliver smiled and said, 'This looks so cool!"

"Thanks."

Suddenly a message came over the loudspeaker, "Can Andrew Nelson please report to the principal's office? Andrew Nelson to the principal's office."

Oliver looked at Drew, who shrugged. Oliver asked, "Are you in trouble?"

"I don't think so." Drew saved all their work and said, "I'll be back." He walked out of the media room, down the hall, and over to Archie's office.

Archie's secretary said, "You can go right in."

Drew nodded and opened Archie's door.

"Hey, kiddo, come on in."

Drew closed the door and sat down, "I'm not in trouble, am I?"

Archie raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why? Did you do something?"

"No."

"Well, you're not in trouble."

Drew nodded, "So why am I in here?" Archie smiled, and Drew shook his head, "Oh god, who told you?"

"No one did. I saw you looking at Oliver earlier, and it was like your dad looking at your mom when they were here." Archie shook his head, "It really is uncanny sometimes."

Drew asked, "And are you okay with it?"

"Drew, all me, your grandma, and your mom ever wanted was for you to be happy." Drew nodded, "But you have to let me know if people bother you."

Drew shook his head, "You don't have to worry about that. We're not going to be holding hands or anything."

Archie nodded, "I also heard from Mr. Del Rossi about your _Lord of the Flies_ test. Great job."

"Thanks. I can't believe it."

"See what happens when you apply yourself?"

"Yeah, speaking of that, Oliver and I are working on our project for Perino right now, and I think it's excellent."

"That's great."

Drew laughed, "Watching everyone else's projects has given ideas about what not to do."

Archie snickered.

"So, I'd better get going. My free period is almost over." Drew stood up, and Archie joined him.

They walked to Archie's door, and Archie said, "I'm proud of you, kiddo."

"Thanks, grandpa."

Drew walked out, and Archie smiled.

* * *

Sean and Jay were sitting in his office when Jay asked, "So when are we going out for our steak dinner, Seany?"

"Next week?"

Jay asked, "Why not this Friday, or are you having a date night with your lady?"

Sean typed something into his computer and said, "Em, has a work event, and they invited me too."

"Ooh fancy. Do you even have a suit to wear?"

"Other than my dress uniform? No, and I haven't had to wear that thing in years. Thank God."

Jay joked, "Looks like someone needs to go shopping!"

Sean scoffed, "What? No. Besides, she said I don't have to dress up and that a sweater and jeans are fine."

Jay asked, "Well, what about when you propose?"

Sean looked at him and said, "You proposed in my hospital room in jeans, a sweatshirt, and with a backward cap on your head."

"I also didn't have a ring, but you will. A big, fancy custom-made ring, so you should probably make it a big, fancy proposal."

Sean shook his head, "Shit, now I'm nervous all over again."

"Don't be nervous, Cameron. You've loved this woman most of your life."

Sean smiled, "True."

"Just take her someone nice, tell her everything you've ever wanted to say about how much you love her, get on one knee, and ask."

"Again, you did none of those things."

"I know, but I'm a schmuck, and you're not." Jay looked at the clock, "What time is Drake coming again?"

"Not until 7."

"Ugh, I can't wait that long. I need to take a walk or something. Can I?"

Sean nodded, "Sure, you've been working hard. You can have a break."

Jay stood up and asked, "Wanna come with me?"

Sean shook his head, "Nope. I got paperwork to do."

"And you need to call that hot chick and tell her she's hired."

"Oh, right. I almost forgot about that."

"How could you forget about _that_?"

Sean rolled his eyes, "Get out of here, Hogart."

Jay laughed and walked out of Sean's office. Sean closed out of the work program on his computer, went on Google, and looked up stores in the area that sold suits.

* * *

Drew walked back into the media room, and Oliver asked, "Is everything okay?"

"Yep. My grandpa just wanted to congratulate me on my _Lord of the Flies_ grade."

Oliver nodded, "Ah."

Drew looked at Oliver and said, "He figured it out."

"He figured what out?"

"Us."

Oliver nodded, "Oh."

"He's fine with it and told me to tell him if anyone bothers us. I told him he wouldn't be walking around holding hands."

Oliver smiled, "I wish we could, but people are idiots."

Drew nodded, "You do?"

Oliver turned to him and said, "Yes. Straight couples walk around with no issues around here. Hell, they even get to make out in the hallways. Everyone else should be able to do the same thing."

Drew said, "You know what my grandpa said?" Oliver shook his head. "He said I looked at you like my dad used to look at my mom when they were here."

Oliver smiled and said, "Wow, you must really like me."

Drew shook his head and said, "Shut up."

"Make me."

Drew rolled his eyes and said, "Come on. Let's finish this up before the bell rings."

Oliver bumped his shoulder into Drew's and said, "Fine."

Drew smiled as he turned back to the monitor.

* * *

After Sean finished his paperwork for the day, he picked up his phone and called Pete's friend Hannah to tell her she got the job. Sean didn't interview anyone else, so the job was going to be hers regardless, but he didn't want it to seem like he wasn't talking to other people.

She picked up the phone kind of in a huff, "Hello?"

Sean said, "Hello, is this, Hannah?"

"Yes. This is Hannah."

"Hi, this is Sean Cameron from Cameron's Custom Cars. How are you?"

"I'm okay, but I'll be a lot better if you tell me I got the job."

Sean chuckled and said, "Well, you got the job."

Her demeanor changed immediately, "That's so great. Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome. Do you think you can start on Monday?"

"Yes!"

Sean sat back in his chair and said, "Cool. Okay, and do you think you can come in a little early, say 7:45?"

"Sure. That's no problem."

"Great. I just wanted to show you around and show you the computer systems, but I can probably help you all day."

Hannah said, "I have a question."

"Shoot."

She asked, "What's the dress code?"

Sean thought about it for a second, "Well, I won't expect you to dress like you're going to an office when we're all wearing jumpsuits and covered in grease." Hannah laughed, and Sean continued, "Just don't show up in sweatpants."

Hannah laughed again and said, "That won't be a problem."

"I mean, if you want to dress nice, I don't have a problem with that at all, but don't think that you have to."

"Thanks. I really appreciate this, Mr. Cameron."

Sean laughed and said, "Oh God, please call me Sean. My dad is Mr. Cameron."

"Okay."

"Well, okay, we're all set. I'll see you Monday morning, Hannah."

"Bye, Sean!"

"Bye." He hung up the phone and said, "Mr. Cameron," shook his head, then laughed to himself.

* * *

Emma sat in her car outside of Degrassi and waited for Drew to come out of the building. While she was in her car, she answered work emails on her phone.

Drew opened the door, and Emma smiled at him, "Hey, kiddo. How was your day?"

"It was good." He handed her the _Lord Of The Flies_ test.

Emma looked at it and smiled, "Sweetie, this is amazing!"

"I know, I wasn't expecting to do that well."

Emma turned to him and said, "See what applying yourself can do?"

Drew laughed, "God, that's just what grandpa said."

"Well, it's the truth." Emma handed him the test and asked, "So how's the project coming along with Oliver?"

Drew put on his seatbelt, "It's going well, and we're nearly done."

"That's great."

"Um, mom, I was wondering if Oliver could come over again tomorrow? As I said, we're nearly done with everything, but I want to make it a project that people won't nod off during like the others."

Emma giggled, "Have they been that bad?"

"Mom, it's torture."

Emma pulled away from the curb and said, "I'm sure Perino is enjoying them, huh?"

"He looks like he wants to die during every single one of them."

Emma laughed, "Some things never change."

* * *

Pete walked into Sean's office and said, "They're here."

Sean looked at the clock, "It's early."

"I know."

Sean stood up and said, "Okay. Bring them around back."

"Will do." Pete jogged out of the office, and Sean took a deep breath before walking out. He had Drake's car in the back of the shop where they do the custom work. They handle regular mechanical services in the regular bays. It's more private that way.

He patted Jay on the back and said, "He's here early."

"Oh shit."

"Yeah."

Jay put down the tools he was using and joined Sean. "Are you okay?"

"I think so."

"Dude, we did a spectacular job with his car, and you know it. Have some confidence. Yours is the best shop in the city, man."

Sean smiled and said, "Thank you."' He took another deep breath and said, "Okay, let's do this."

* * *

Emma looked at the clock and began pacing in the kitchen. Drew sat at the island doing his homework and smiled at his mom as she walked back and forth.

"Mom, are you okay?"

Emma nodded as she paced, "Yeah, why?"

"Because you're going to wear down the wood floor if you keep pacing like that."

Emma stopped and said, "I'm just nervous for your dad."

"Why? Drake is going to love what dad did to his car, and he's probably going to recommend him to other people and maybe even have dad work on one or more of his other cars."

Emma smiled, "That would be incredible."

"Dad is great at what he does."

"Oh, I know he is. He's always been good at working on cars and has always known so much about them."

Drew smiled, "You guys love each other a lot."

"We do."

"I'm glad you're happy, mom."

"Yeah?"

Drew nodded. "Yes. I never realized how unhappy you were until dad came back into your life."

Emma smiled and nodded, "Me either, to be honest." She wiped a tear away and said, "And I'm glad you're happy." Drew blushed, and Emma asked, "So, what's going on with you and Oliver?"

"We like each other, but..."

"But what?"

"Well, he can't come out to his parents."

"They're not supportive?"

Drew shook his head, "Oliver said his mom said something nasty about Braden's dads, and that's why Oliver suppressed his feelings for me for so long."

Emma shook his head, "Maybe if she knew her son was gay, she wouldn't be like that."

"I'm just glad you and dad are okay with it."

Emma smiled at Drew. "We want you to be happy, baby."

"I know."

Emma asked, "Are there any gay couples at school?"

"Girls. Not guys. People seem to be more accepting of two girls dating then two guys dating."

"Well, that's just silly."

Drew nodded. "I mean, we haven't said if we're a couple. We're just friends who like each other."

"So you're figuring things out."

"Yep."

Emma nodded, "I get it. You don't have to rush into a full-blown relationship. You are only 14."

"You were in a full-blown relationship at 14."

Emma laughed, "Good point."

* * *

Sean, Jay, and Pete were sitting in Sean's office after the shop closed.

"I told you he'd love it."

Sean smiled at Jay, "You did."

Pete said, "This is going to be incredible for us, man. We're going to have more custom clients than regular mechanical clients."

Sean nodded, "We're also going need a bigger place."

Jay asked, "Do you have your eye on any places?"

Sean nodded, "Yep. It's all a question of money."

Jay nodded, "Are they close by?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't want to move across the city or anything."

"Good point."

Pete stood up, "Okay. I need to get to my place and inspect the damage."

"Oh, right, the flooded bathroom." Sean looked at him, "I hope everything is okay."

"Me too. What a pain in the ass."

"And if you need to come in late tomorrow, it's fine."

"Thanks, man."

"No, thank you. You work your ass off, and you do great work for me. It's the least I can do. If you need the whole day off, it's fine. I'll still pay you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Thanks." Pete smiled, "See you tomorrow."

Jay said, "Bye, man."

Pete walked out of Sean's office and asked, "I suppose you're going home to hang out with the woman and child."

Sean laughed, "Yes." He looked at Jay, "Why don't you come over for dinner tonight?"

"Are you sure?"

Sean nodded, "Yes. I'll call Em and tell her we're bringing home some pizza."

Jay smiled and said, "Thanks, man."

"No problem."

* * *

Sean texted Emma and let her know that Jay would be coming for dinner. When she looked at her phone, she said, "Oh, good. I don't have to cook."

"Dad's bringing home pizza?"

"Pizza and Jay."

"Cool." Drew went back to working on his homework.

Emma said, "I'll be right back. I want to change into comfy clothes."

"Okay."

Emma walked up to the master bedroom and stripped out of her work clothes. She threw on a pair of leggings and an oversized sweatshirt. Emma wanted to be comfortable. She had been dressing much nicer because she was working mostly in Rosedale, and she tried to look the part because it's one of the fancier neighborhoods in Toronto. She also put her hair up into a bun and took off most of her makeup. When Emma made it back downstairs, she said, "Ah, much better."

Drew looked at her and said, "Mom, you look like a teenager."

"Is that a bad thing?"

Drew laughed, "No."

"I am one of the youngest mothers amongst your friend's moms, right?"

"You are the youngest."

Emma chuckled, "So was grandma."

Drew shook his head, "I still can't believe she had you at my age. I couldn't even imagine how hard that must have been for her."

Emma nodded, "I know. Neither can I."

"You weren't much older."

"Yes, but at least I was out of high school. She was just leaving junior high."

Drew smiled and said, "Grandma is amazing."

Emma beamed at her son, "That's very sweet of you to say."

"It's true." He looked at his mom and said, "You are too."

"I am?" Drew nodded, and Emma said, "Thank you, sweetie."

* * *

When Sean and Jay arrived at the house, Emma greeted them at the door, "So how did it go!?"

Sean laughed and kissed her, "Hello to you too."

"I'm sorry, but I've been so nervous for you."

Jay scoffed, "Why? This guy knows what he's doing."

"I know that!" Emma looked at them, "Well, don't keep me in suspense!"

Sean smiled, "It went well."

Jay said, "Really well." He took the pizza out of Sean's hands, "Let me take this." He walked into the kitchen. "Hello, kiddo."

Drew looked up from his books and said, "Hey!"

Emma hugged Sean, "I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you, but it wasn't just me."

Emma kept her arms wrapped around his neck and smiled, "I know, but it is _your_ shop."

Sean smiled and looked her up and down, "You look like you're about 16 in that getup."

Emma laughed, "Your son said the same thing."

Sean kissed her quickly, "Come on. I'll get washed up, and we can eat." He walked over to Drew and patted his shoulder, "How was school, kiddo?"

"Forget school, tell us everything about Drake and what happened at the shop."

Sean laughed, "All right. Let me get cleaned up first." Sean walked into the powder room off the kitchen and washed his hands.

Emma looked at Jay and asked, "Um, could you tell your fiance to tell me when she gets a chance?"

Jay laughed, "It's not like I talk to her all the time. She's busy."

Emma nodded, "It's good that she's busy. I just miss talking to her."

Sean walked out of the powder room and asked, "So how much longer do I have you, Hogart?"

"Three more weeks." Jay walked into the powder room and washed his hands.

After he finished and walked back out into the kitchen, Emma said, "We should have a going-away dinner for you!"

Jay shook his head and raised his hand, "You don't need to do that."

"I want to do it."

"Well, all right, if you insist."

Emma nodded, "I insist."

Drew looked at his parents and Jay and said, "Enough about this, tell us about Drake!"

Sean laughed, "Okay, okay!"

They all sat at the table, and Emma made sure everyone had drinks before they started eating. Sean began to tell the story of Drake coming to get his car.

"Well, first, he arrived early, which was good in one way because we didn't have to sit and get anxious waiting for his arrival but was also bad because I wasn't quite prepared."

Drew asked, "You didn't have everything finished?"

Sean said, "No, we finished everything I just wasn't; let's say mentally prepared."

"Oh. But it was okay right?"

Sean nodded, "Yep. And he loved everything we did."

"That's awesome!"

Sean smiled, "It is awesome." He looked at Jay and said, "I couldn't have done it without that one over there and Pete."

"Man, it was my pleasure."

Sean said, "I am bummed you're leaving, but I'm happy for you and Manny."

Jay smiled, "Thanks."

Drew asked, "So, is Drake bringing any of his other cars to you?"

"Not yet, but he said he would. He has an album to record or something."

Jay added, "He also said he'd tell his friends about the shop."

Drew said, "Wouldn't it be cool if he mentioned your shop in a song?"

Sean laughed, "I don't think that's happening, kiddo."

Emma smiled and said, "Babe, it's great that he wants to tell people about you and how great your work is."

Sean nodded, "I know. I might have to get a bigger shop."

Emma asked, "Do you have the money to do that?"

He nodded again and said, "I can take out a loan if I need to." He smiled at Emma then looked at Drew, "Okay enough about me, how was your day?"

"Fine."

Emma scoffed, "It was more than fine. Your son nearly aced his _Lord Of The Flies_ test."

Sean's eyes lit up, "Good job, kiddo."

"Thanks. I was shocked. I didn't think I know that much. The bad thing is now Mr. Del Rossi will expect this to happen all the time."

Sean smiled, "Well, maybe it will."

"I don't know about that. _The Great Gatsby_ looks difficult."

Emma asked, "Nah, it's not that bad once you get past all the flowery writing."

"Maddie said she could help me. She read it for fun already. Can you imagine?"

Sean shook his head, "I hated that book."

Jay said, "Me too."

Emma asked both Jay and Sean, "Did you actually read it?"

Sean said, "I read some of it."

Emma giggled, and Jay said, "I quit two chapters in and borrowed someone else's notes."

Emma said, "I liked it."

Jay snickered, "Figures."

Sean laughed and smiled. He was thrilled at that moment to be with his son, his best friend, and the woman he loved. He reached over and held Emma's hand. She looked at him and asked, "Is everything okay?"

Sean nodded and said, "Yep. Everything is perfect."


	47. Chapter 47

After they all finished dinner, Jay stood up and said, "I'm gonna get going."

Emma asked, "Are you sure? You should stay for dessert. We have ice cream."

Jay nodded, "As tempting as that is, Em, I have a call scheduled with Manny in a little while, and I need to get home."

"Oh, okay." Emma smiled, "Tell her, I said hi."

"I will." He looked at Sean and said, "Thanks for inviting me to dinner, man. I appreciate it."

Sean stood up and said, "You're welcome. Thanks for coming." Sean put his hand on Jay's back and said, "I'll walk you to the door."

Jay looked at Drew, "Bye, kiddo."

"Bye." Drew grabbed his backpack and said to Emma, "I have to finish my homework."

Emma nodded, "Okay, sweetie. Do you want some ice cream?"

"Maybe a little later."

"Well, you let me know, and I'll bring some down."

"Thanks."

Drew walked down to the basement while Sean and Jay walked to the front door. Jay joked, "I could have walked to the door alone, Cameron."

Sean whispered, "I'm going to a store tomorrow to look at suits, and I'd like for you to come with me."

"Okay, I'll help you."

"Cool. We'll go at lunch."

Jay smiled, "Have you come up with a plan?"

"I have a couple of ideas."

Emma called out, "What are you two whispering about?"

Sean turned and said, "Work stuff. We didn't want to bore you with it."

Emma raised an eyebrow and said, "Uh-huh. Goodnight, Jay."

"Goodnight!"

"See you tomorrow." Jay walked out, and Sean walked into the kitchen, "Do you need help cleaning up?"

"Nope. I put everything in the dishwasher."

"Ah, good idea."

Emma smiled and looked at him, "Oh, Oliver is coming over again tomorrow."

"Really?"

"Yep. They need to finish their project."

Sean nodded, "Ah, right. Perino."

Emma laughed, "Drew said he's trying to make it so Perino doesn't want to die during the presentation."

"Some things never change, huh?" Emma nodded, and Sean said, "I'm going to take a quick shower. I feel grimy."

Emma smiled and kissed his nose, "Okay."

"And afterward, I'll join you on the couch so we can watch those crazy housewives."

Emma laughed, "I love you."

"I love you more."

* * *

Drew sat on his bed and attempted to read the first two chapters of _The Great Gatsby_. He couldn't get into it. "Ugh, I can't do this." He leaned his head back on his headboard and groaned. "This sucks."

A few moments later, Drew's phone buzzed, and he looked at it. He got a text from Maddie, so he wrote, "How did you read this book for fun?" As he waited for Maddie's answer, he stood up and walked over to his desk.

Emma called out, "Drew?"

"Yeah?"

Emma walked into his room with a bowl of ice cream. "Here." She handed it to him, "I figured you'd want some."

"Thanks!"

She asked, "How's reading going?"

"I have no idea how Maddie read this book for fun. We have to read the first two chapters tonight, and I can't even make it two pages."

Emma giggled, "You're so much like your dad."

"Did dad do well when he applied himself?"

Emma nodded, "Yep."

Drew's phone buzzed on his nightstand, and he walked over to it. "This is probably Maddie. I just asked her how she read this for fun." He looked at the message and said, "She says it's one of the best books ever written."

"Some people say that. It's hit or miss. You either love it, or you hate it."

"I think I'm going to hate it."

Emma shook her head, "Eat the ice cream, then go back to it."

Drew nodded, "Okay. Thanks again, mom."

"You're welcome. Oh, and if Oliver wants to stay for dinner again tomorrow night, he can."

He asked, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, silly." She walked over to Drew's door and said, "Good luck with those first two chapters."

"Yeah, thanks."

Emma closed the door and walked to the basement stairs. She looked at Drew's closed door and smiled.

* * *

After his shower, Sean put on a pair of pajama pants and a tank top and headed downstairs.

"Ah, much better."

Emma smiled at him, "I always knew you'd become a sexy man."

Sean laughed, "Oh, please."

"What? You are." He shook his head and sat on the couch next to her. Emma asked, "You don't think I think you're sexy?"

"Oh, I think you think I'm sexy, but I don't think I'm sexy."

She smiled at him and asked, "What do you think about yourself? Honestly."

Sean shrugged and said, "I'm okay, I guess? I don't know. Guys aren't sexy. Women are sexy."

Emma laughed, "Guys can be sexy. Have you seen Idris Elba?"

Sean smiled, "That's true. He is a good looking guy."

"So are you."

"Okay, I'll play." He asked, "What's so sexy about me?"

Emma didn't hesitate and said, "Your arms. I love your arms."

Sean raised an eyebrow, 'Yeah?"

Emma nodded, "Yes. I love holding onto them while we make love." She traced her finger across his collarbone, "I also love your chest and abs."

"Thank you."

"And your face."

Sean laughed again, "Even with the bruising?"

Emma nodded and leaned forward, "Yes." She rubbed her nose against his nose, "And your mouth."

Emma kissed him, but Sean pulled away after a few moments. He cleared his throat and said, "We probably shouldn't do anything with the child right downstairs."

"Fine, let's go upstairs." She stood up and held out her hand.

Sean looked up at her and asked, "No housewives tonight?"

Emma shook her head, "Nope. And I'm sorry you're going to have to take another shower before bed."

Sean scoffed, stood up, and said, "I'm not."

* * *

Drew finally made it through the first two chapters of _The Great Gatsby_ and afterward, texted Maddie. "I finally finished the first two chapters. That was torture."

She immediately sent back a laughing emoji.

Drew shook his head and put the book into his backpack. He also looked over the notes he took before he put his notebook into his bag. Drew then texted Oliver to tell him he could stay for dinner again.

Drew's phone rang almost immediately. It was Oliver.

"Hey."

"Hey."

Drew could tell something was wrong by the tone of Oliver's voice and asked, "What's up?"

"I can't come over tomorrow."

Drew asked, "Why not?"

"Because my mom is an asshole."

"Oh." This news disappointed Drew. He hoped he could be alone with Oliver without having to worry about people seeing them.

"I got a 51 on my last math test, and she's punishing me." Oliver said, "She sucks."

"What about your birthday?"

"I can still have people over for that, but if I get another bad grade, no party."

Drew asked, "Would she let me come over to work on the project? Maybe if she knew we were doing work, she'd allow it, and we can show her our project."

Oliver said, "Hold on."

As Oliver was asking his mom for her permission, Drew crossed his fingers.

When Oliver came back, he said, "Ugh, she said no."

"I'm sorry."

"Whatever."

Drew said, "We can work on the project during lunch tomorrow. That's no problem."

Oliver sighed, "Yeah, I guess."

Drew asked, "Did you read Gatsby yet?"

"Yeah. I don't like it."

Drew laughed, "Neither do I."

They talked for a little while until Oliver's mom yelled at him to get off the phone. "Ugh. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay."

"Bye."

Drew ended the call and sighed. He was disappointed that Oliver couldn't come over. He looked at the clock. It was only 9 o'clock, but Drew felt exhausted. He decided to go to sleep early.

* * *

About an hour later, Emma and Sean were lying in bed together; her head was on his chest, and he played with her hair.

Emma traced her fingernails up and down Sean's bare chest and said, "That was so good."

Sean smiled, "Yeah?"

She raised her head and nodded, "Yeah."

He asked, "What was so good about it?"

She sat up against the headboard and said, "Everything?"

Sean laughed, "I think it's so good because we love each other so much."

Emma nodded, "I agree." She smiled and said, "And it's because you're so sexy."

He laughed again and said, "You're embarrassing me now."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not sexy. _You're_ sexy."

Emma asked, "What's so sexy about me?"

"Everything about you is sexy to me. Your face, your body, the way you walk, the way you talk, the way you move while we're making love, the noises you make while we're making love."

Emma caressed his face, "I feel the same about you. I also love how you sound when you say my name."

"Oh yeah?"

She nodded, pulled the blanket down, and straddled him, "Yes. It's hot."

Sean smiled up at her, "Do you know how happy I am right now?"

Emma leaned down and asked, "Is it because I'm naked and straddling you?"

"Well, yes, that's pretty nice. But, at dinner, I looked around the table at you and Drew, and I felt so happy at that moment. I've never been this happy." Emma smiled, and Sean caressed her face, "I just love you so much, and I'm so glad we're together again."

Emma smiled, "I love you too."

Sean asked, "Can we make a date for Saturday night?"

"Sure."

"Good because I just want to stay up all night making love, and then we can be lazy lumps all day on Sunday."

"That sounds perfect." Emma leaned down and kissed him. When she pulled away, she asked, "Would you like to make love again tonight?"

"Like you even have to ask?"

* * *

Drew woke up early the next day, and he was ready for school and eating breakfast when Sean walked down the stairs.

"Hey buddy, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I fell asleep early last night and woke up early."

"Ah, I see." Sean walked over to the coffee maker and poured water into it, "So how does your day look today?"

"Oliver's mom said he couldn't come over today, so we have to work on our project during lunch."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Drew shrugged, "He got a bad grade on his Math test, and his mom wasn't happy. She's even threatening to cancel his birthday party."

"Well, I hope that doesn't happen."

"Me too."

Sean asked, "How's everything else? Did you start _The Great Gatsby_?"

"Ugh, dad, I'm two chapters in, and I already hate it."

Sean chuckled, "Yeah like I said last night, I didn't like it either." Sean lowered his voice and said, "I'm going out today to look for a suit."

"A suit? Why?"

"Well, one, I don't own one other than my dress uniform, and I never want to wear that again. And two, I think I want to propose to your mom while we're both dressed up. Make it fancy."

"But you're not fancy."

"I know." Sean asked, "You don't think I should make it special for your mom?"

"Dad, I think you asking mom is special enough."

"I know, but she's expecting it, and I still want to make it a memorable proposal."

"You will."

"I'm still buying a suit because I need one. Your mom sells beautiful homes, and if I go to parties with her, I should look nice on her arm."

Drew smiled at his dad and finished his breakfast. Emma joined them a little while later and smiled at Drew.

"Why are you up so early?"

"I passed out early last night."

"So, Oliver coming over, right?"

Drew shook his head, "His mom is mad at him. He didn't do well on a test."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Will you have time to work on the presentation today?"

Drew nodded, "During lunch."

"Good." She looked at Sean, who was drinking his coffee and staring off into space, "Babe, are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Sorry I was thinking of some things I need to do today at work." He hopped off his stool and said, "And speaking of work, I better get going." He pat Drew on the back, "Have a good day at school."

"Thanks."

He walked up to Emma and kissed her quickly, "Have a good day."

"You too."

Sean walked to the front door, turned around, and said, "I love you."

Emma smiled, "I love you."

Sean walked out, and Drew said, "If I were a normal teenager, I'd be so grossed out by you two."

Emma laughed, "I'm sorry."

Drew shook his head, "Don't be. It's nice to be the only kid with parents who truly love each other."

Emma opened the fridge and said, "I'm just going to grab something quick to eat, and then we can head over to Degrassi."

"I'm not in a rush to get school, mom."

Emma smiled and said, "Very funny."

* * *

As soon as Drew arrived at Degrassi, he walked to his locker and said, 'Hi' to Maddie.

"You hate the book so far, eh?"

Drew smiled, "Yes."

"It gets better."

"Sure it does." Drew got the books he needed for his first two classes, checked his hair, and closed his locker.

Maddie asked, "So, did you invite Oliver over?"

"I did, but now he can't come over."

Maddie asked, "Why not?"

"Go in trouble."

"Boo. That sucks."

Drew nodded, "I know, but we'll work on the project during lunch."

"Who cares about the project?"

"Uh, I do. Perino's a hardass, and I want to do well."

"Good morning, kiddies." Ethan opened his locker. "How is everyone doing?"

Maddie shook her head, "I want the day to be over."

Drew laughed, "It hasn't even started."

She closed her locker and said, "Exactly."

The first bell rang, and they all walked toward their homerooms.

* * *

Sean and Jay were in his office. Sean was working on some paperwork while Jay was sipping his coffee and watching Sean work. Sean asked, "How was your phone call with Manny?"

"It was fine."

"Just fine?"

Jay rolled his eyes, "She was too tired for phone sex."

Sean shook his head, "You're unbelievable."

"Look, we all can't be like you and Emma." Jay asked, "So how many times did you two have sex last night? Two? Three times?"

"No comment."

Jay shook his head, "Still in the honeymoon phase, huh?"

Sean smiled but didn't say anything.

"Come on. Give me one morsel."

Sean asked, "Why are you so interested in my sex life?"

"I'm just curious."

Sean looked at his computer screen and said, "Three times."

"Ugh, I hate you."

"We're making up for all the time we lost."

"So, you'll be having crazy sex for the next 14 years?"

Sean laughed, "I doubt that. I'd be happy with 14 weeks, though."

"You're halfway there."

Sean stood up, "Okay, get out there and get to work." He tossed Jay a set of keys, "Silver BMW. It's all yours."

"Fine." Jay stood up, "Let me know when you want to leave for lunch."

"I will."

* * *

Emma and her stager Jessica were at the house in Rosedale, going over what they wanted to do with the master bedroom. Emma nodded as she looked through the sketches.

"Jess, this is perfect. It's going to look so good on video."

"Putting this house and property on video is a smart idea."

Emma nodded, "People should see how the house flows. You can't do that with pictures."

Jessica asked, "Will they do drone shots outside?"

"Yep! I'm going over the final plan with the production company on Friday. But I feel as if the pool has to be a focal point."

"Good idea."

Emma asked, "So when can the staging be done?"

Jessica smiled, "I can get everything in here by Sunday."

Emma nodded and asked, "Do I need to be here?"

"Well, it would be good for you to be here so you can approve everything."

"Okay. What time?"

"Afternoon. I don't want to wake up early on Sunday, either." Jessica chuckled and closed her sketchbook.

* * *

As Sean was about to leave his office, the phone rang.

"Man, I cannot wait for that administrative assistant to start, so I don't have to keep answering the phone."

Jay snickered. "Neither can I."

Sean shook his head and answered the phone, "Cameron's Custom Cars." Sean looked at Jay, "Oh, hey there. Is everything okay with the car?" Sean's eyes widened, "Really?" He wrote down an address on a piece of paper and nodded, "Sure, thank you. That would be incredible. Okay, see you then. Bye." Sean hung up.

"Is something wrong with someone's car?"

Sean shook his head, "No, Drake invited us to a party at his place this weekend. He wants to introduce us to some people."

Jay asked, "Are you fucking serious?"

Sean nodded and said, "I am fucking serious."

"Holy shit!"

Sean asked, "Did Pete even make it in today?"

"Nope."

"Okay, I'll tell him tomorrow." Sean grabbed his jacket, "Now I definitely need a suit or something."

Jay asked, "How do you dress for a party at a place like that?"

Sean laughed, "Oh God, I have no idea. But now I have a real excuse to go shopping and don't have to lie to Em anymore."

"Is she invited?"

"Jordan said to bring dates."

"Shit. Manny is going to be so upset that she's missing this."

"Let me call Em." Sean grabbed his phone and called Emma.

Emma ran over to her phone, saw it was Sean, and smiled, 'Hey babe."

"Uh, we have plans Saturday night."

She asked, "We do? What are we doing?"

"We are going to a huge house on Bridle Path and hanging out with Drake and his friends."

"I'm sorry. Am I hallucinating, or did you say what I think you said?"

Sean laughed, "You are not hallucinating." He walked out of his shop and over to his truck. 'I am heading out now to shop for clothes."

Emma giggled, "Are you really?"

"Yes. I have nothing good enough to wear to a party on Bridle Path."

"Well, if you don't find anything today, we can always go after work on Saturday, and I can help you out."

Sean said, "Drew is going to flip."

Emma said, "Oh, poor Drew. He's not invited, is he?"

"Just spouses and girlfriends."

"Okay. I'll have dad stay with him."

"Or we can let him stay home alone. He is 14."

Emma said, "We'll discuss that later."

Sean laughed and started up his truck, "Em, I'm heading out. I'll call you later."

She smiled and said, "Have fun shopping."

"Oh yeah, I'm sure I'll have loads of fun."

"Bye." Emma ended the call, looked at Jessica, and said, "Um, Jess, how do I dress for a party at Drake's mansion?"

"Are you serious?"

Emma nodded, "My son's father owns a shop that customizes cars, and he worked on one of Drake's cars. As a thank you, Drake invited Sean and his crew to a party, and Sean's taking me."

"Emma, this is so exciting!"

"I know. Maybe I should Google famous people and see how they dress when they go out."

"That could work."

Emma shook her head, "I can't believe this is happening. Our son is going to freak out."

* * *

'How's this?" Sean walked out of the dressing room in a gray suit jacket with a faint checkered pattern outlined in black, a dark purple button-down shirt, and black dress pants.

"You look pretty good, Cameron."

Sean looked at himself in the mirror, "Are the colors okay?"

Jay smiled and said, "The shirt brings out your eyes."

Sean shook his head and rolled his eyes, "You're such an asshole."

"I was serious! I think Emma would like it."

Sean looked at himself again, "I don't like how I look in a suit."

"You're just not used to it. You're used to wearing jeans, t-shirts, and jumpsuits. I think you look good."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. I like that the jacket and pants go together but don't match. You don't want to look too buttoned up. You want to look cool, and you look cool in that getup Cameron.

Sean nodded, and the woman who helped him pick out the suit walked over.

"Wow, you look great." She walked up behind him and straightened his jacket. She walked around him, looked him up and down, and said, "That shirt really brings out your eyes."

Jay said, "See?"

Sean asked, "Do you think my soon-to-fiance will like it?"

The saleswoman smiled and said, "I think she'll love it."

Sean looked at himself one last time and said, "Fine. I'll take everything."

"Great! Come to the front when you're done."

She walked out, and Jay asked, "Do you have shoes?"

Sean nodded, "Yes. I do own one pair of black dress shoes" He walked into the dressing room and asked, "Do you have something to wear?"

"I do. I haven't worn it in a while, but I think it's spiffy enough for a shindig at Drake's."

Sean was careful when hanging everything up, and when he finished getting dressed, he stepped out of the dressing room with everything. "Okay, I'm all set." He looked at his phone, "We can stop off somewhere and pick up something to eat."

Jay nodded and said, "Sounds good to me."

"Let me pay for all this, and we'll be on our way."


	48. Chapter 48

Drew and Oliver were busy working on their presentation at lunch when Oliver looked at Drew and said, "I think Perino might actually like this."

"I hope so. I want our presentation to be the one that doesn't make him nearly fall asleep."

Oliver shook his head and said, "I don't know why he still teaches if he hates it so much."

"My parents said he was like this when they went here."

Oliver asked, "So, your dad is okay now?'

Drew nodded, "As far as I know, he is."

Oliver looked at him and said, "That must have been so scary for you and your mom."

"It was. I think it made my parents both realize that we should officially become a family."

"Oh yeah?" Drew nodded, and Oliver asked, "When is your dad going to ask your mom to marry him?"

"He is still trying to come up with an idea for his proposal. And I think he's waiting for the ring to be ready."

Oliver smiled, "That's cool."

Drew smiled and asked, "So do you want me to do most of the talking?"

"We can trade-off. I don't think I'll mess up too badly."

Drew laughed, "I wasn't worried about _that_."

"Sure, you weren't."

Drew smiled, and Olimer smiled back. They looked at each other a little too long, and Drew said, "Uh, let's finish this and then grab something quick to eat."

"Okay."

* * *

Emma stopped by Sean's shop after she finished her work at the house in Rosedale. Sean was in his office on the phone with a client when Emma knocked on his door. He smiled and held up his finger. She walked in and sat down in front of him.

"Yep, sounds good. See you then." Sean hung up and said, "Well, this is a nice surprise."

"I finished my work for the day, and it's too early for me to pick up Drew, so I figured why not come over." She looked around and said, "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Sean scoffed, "Even if you were, I wouldn't care."

Emma smiled, "So this party…"

Sean shook his head, "Em, I couldn't believe it."

"We have a busy weekend ahead of us."

"I know. First, your work party and then my work party."

"Oh, and I have to go to the house in Rosedale on Sunday."

Sean asked, "Is everything okay?"

Emma nodded, "Yes. That's when all the staging furniture is arriving, and I have to be there to make sure everything is correct and to make sure everything matches our sketches."

"Well, our plans have changed for Saturday night anyway, so maybe we can have our fun the following weekend." Sean was hoping the engagement ring would be ready by that weekend.

"Raincheck?"

Sean smiled, "Yes."

"I really can't believe we're going to a party at Drake's house. I don't even know how to dress."

Sean laughed, "Me, either. I went out at lunch and bought some clothes."

"You did?"

"Yep. I'll do a fashion show for you at home." He winked, and Emma smiled.

* * *

After spending some time with Sean in his office, Emma stood up and said, "I'd better go and get our son."

Sean stood up, walked around his desk, and joined her, "I should be home on time tonight."

"Okay." She kissed him and pulled away, "Have a good rest of your day, dear."

"I'll try."

"See you later."

"Bye."

Emma walked out of his office, and Sean walked back to his desk. Jay walked into his office and joked, "I'm surprised you two didn't christen your desk."

Sean said, "We already did that."

"Are you serious?"

Sean nodded.

"Unbelievable."

Sean smiled and asked, "How's the BMW?"

"All done."

"Oh, good." Sean sat at his computer, and Jay gave him the work order. "I'll let the owner know."

Jay asked, "You have anything else for me?"

Sean shook his head, "Nope, but you can go around and see if anyone needs help."

Jay saluted Sean and said, "Yes, sir." He walked out of his office, and Sean smiled.

* * *

Emma waited in her car for Drew outside of Degrassi. As she waited, Oliver knocked on the passenger side window, and Emma opened it.

"Hey, Oliver."

"Hey, Miss Nelson. Drew should be out soon. He forgot his Gatsby book in his locker, so he had to run back and get it."

She smiled and said, "Thanks for letting me know."

"You're welcome." He looked in the direction of his bus and said, "I gotta go. Bye!"

"Bye!" She watched Oliver jog to his bus, and she shook her head. Drew opened the door a couple of minutes later, and she greeted him, "Hey, kiddo."

"Hi." Drew got into Emma's car and closed the door. "Sorry, I was late. I had to get a book."

"I know. Oliver told me."

"He did?"

Emma smiled and nodded. Then she asked, "How was your day?"

"We finished the Perino project."

"Great! You're doing it tomorrow, right?"

Drew nodded.

"Well, I'm sure it will be great."

"I hope so." He put on his seatbelt, and Emma pulled away from the curb. Drew asked, "How was your day?"

"Pretty good. I stopped by and visited your dad at work."

Drew said, "You didn't have sex there, did you?"

Emma gasped and said, "Andrew!"

"What? You two are all over each other all the time."

Emma laughed, "No. We didn't have sex in his office." She shook her head and asked, "How are things with Oliver?"

"They're annoying because we can't be alone even when we're alone."

Emma nodded, "Ah, I get that."

"It sucks, mom."

She smiled and said, "Maybe if you do a good job on the presentation and get a good grade, his mom will ease up on him."

"I hope so."

Emma asked, "You're still going to his house for his birthday, right?"

"Yes. It's a sleepover."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, me, Ethan, Jake, Josh, and Oliver's cousin Seth will be there."

Emma smiled and said, "That should be fun."

Drew shrugged, "I guess. Only Ethan knows about us, so it's not like we can do anything."

Emma asked, "What would you want to do, Drew?"

"I just want to be like the other couples in school and not have to hide. We haven't even really talked about what we are. We just admitted we liked each other, but what's the point of liking each other if we can't do anything about it?"

Emma pulled up to a red light, reached over, and put her hand on Drew's shoulder, "I'm sorry, sweetie."

He looked down at his hands and said, "It just sucks."

"I know." Emma looked at her son, and the disappointed look on his face took her back to her days at Degrassi. She had seen that same expression on Sean's face a lot when they were teenagers. She asked, "How about I make you whatever you want for dinner?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

The light turned green, and Drew tried to think about what he wanted for dinner, but he couldn't think of anything. "Ugh, I don't know. You can pick whatever you want to cook."

Emma said, "All right, sweetie." and Drew moped in his seat.

* * *

As Sean was finishing up for the night, Jay was in Sean's office, hanging out, "So are we celebrating after Drake's party?"

Sean laughed at Jay and said, "Next week. We'll go out after work one night, get a nice dinner, drinks, the works."

"Sounds good."

"I called Manny to tell her about Drake's party, and she's trying to figure if she can fly private, go to the party and be back in L.A. for Monday."

"That would be something."

Jay nodded. "I hope she can pull it off. I miss her."

Sean smiled, "I still can't believe you asked her to marry you in my hospital room."

"It's your son's fault."

"Hey man, don't blame my kid."

Jay smiled, "How's he doing?"

Sean nodded, "I think he's frustrated because he has to hide who he is at school."

Jay shook his head, "That sucks."

"I try to reassure him and tell him that things will get better, but I don't even know if that's true. You know?"

Jay nodded, "Cameron, are you going to teach me how to be a good dad like you?"

Sean scoffed, "You'll be fine. It just comes to you."

"I hope so."

"Okay." Sean shut down his computer, "I am done for the night. You should get out of here too." He stood up and stretched.

"Too much sex lately?"

Sean shook his head, "Would you stop?"

Jay laughed and stood up, 'Have a good night, man."

"You too." Sean took one last look around his office and left.

* * *

Sean walked into the house, and Emma called out to him, "Hey, babe."

"Hey," He hung his new clothes on the staircase railing and walked over to the kitchen, "It smells incredible in here."

"Thank you."

Sean kissed Emma's cheek and asked, "Is Drew working on his homework?"

"I think he might be downstairs moping."

"Why? What happened?"

"Oliver stuff."

"Uh, oh."

Emma turned and said, "He's just disappointed that they haven't had time to be alone and haven't been able to talk about their status."

"Ah, I see. That must be frustrating."

"He made a face in the car that took me back to our Degrassi days."

"Oh yeah?"

"I've seen you make that face a lot."

Sean chuckled, "Poor kid."

"Why don't you go down there and talk to him?"

"I don't know if I can help, but I'll try." Sean walked down to the basement and saw that Drew's door was closed. He walked up to the door, listened to hear if maybe Drew was listening to music, but he wasn't. Sean knocked and said, "Kiddo, can I come in?"

Drew sat up, wiped off his face, and said, "Sure."

Sean opened the door, "Hey." As soon as he saw Drew's red eyes, the smile disappeared from his face, "Were you crying?"

Drew nodded.

"What's wrong?" Sean walked over to Drew's bed and sat next to him.

"I'm just frustrated. That's all."

"About school?"

Drew shrugged, "Well, sort of."

"Oh, it's about you and Oliver at school."

Drew nodded, "Yeah. We're never alone enough to be able to talk about what's happening. He likes me, and I like him, but it feels like we can never be together."

"I'm sorry, kiddo. I'd be frustrated too."

"Imagine if you and mom liked each other and could hang out, but you couldn't be together. That would be frustrating for you, right?"

"Yes. Very."

Drew shook his head, "I just wish things weren't so complicated."

"Well, maybe once his mom calms down, you two will be able to hang out. Oliver's still having his birthday party, right?"

"Yeah, but there will be a bunch of people at his house."

Sean nodded, "Right. Maybe you just need to take matters into your own hands."

Drew looked at Sean and asked, "How?"

"Well, there was a time back in ninth grade when your mom and I couldn't hang out. Now I acted like a jackass, and we broke up because of it, but I tried everything I could to be alone with her. Maybe you just need to come up with a way for you to be alone with Oliver at school."

"Do you mean like pulling him into a supply closet?"

Sean laughed, "I don't know if you have to be that drastic, but hey, sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures."

Drew looked at Sean and said, "I want to say something, but I am a little afraid."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not sure how you'll react."

Sean looked at Drew and said, "Drew, have I given you any indication that any of this bothers me?"

"No."

"Exactly. I told you, you can tell me anything."

Drew took a deep breath, "Okay." He flopped back onto his bed, covered his face, and said, "I just really want to kiss him again, dad."

Sean smiled and said, "So then kiss him."

Drew moved his hands away from his face and said, "Again, we have nowhere to go."

"There aren't any hiding spots in Degrassi?"

"Not really. At least not that I know of."

"Well, maybe you could ask around."

Drew looked at him with his brow furrowed and said, "You mean ask people who may already sneak into places?"

Sean nodded.

"That's so embarrassing. I don't want anyone asking me who I'm planning on being with alone."

"Hmmm." Sean thought about it for a moment and said, "Ask Maddie to ask around. Or you could ask Maddie for a suggestion."

"Like she'd know?"

"You never know. Maybe she does."

Drew sat up and said, "Thanks, dad."

Sean asked, "Are you feeling any better?"

Drew nodded.

"Good. I'm glad." Sean stood up, "Oh! I bought new clothes today, but it turns out I had an excuse to buy them without having to hide them from your mom."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"Okay, now, don't get upset, but your mother and I have been invited to a party Saturday night."

Drew asked, "Why would I be upset about that?"

"Because it's at Drake's house."

Drew yelled, "WHAT? ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"

Sean laughed, "Yep. Dead serious. His assistant called me up earlier, and it seems I've been invited with Jay and Pete because Drake wants to introduce us to some people."

"Dad, this is incredible. Your business is going to explode because of what you did to Drake's car."

"I hope so."

"I really can't go?"

Sean shook his head, "Sorry, kiddo. But there is good news."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"You're 14 now, so your mother and I are going to trust you to stay here alone while we're out."

Drew's eyes lit up, "You are?"

Sean nodded, "We are."

He shrugged and said, "I'll probably just play video games all night anyway."

Sean laughed. "Maybe you can invite a friend over."

"I can ask Maddie. I'm sure she's not doing anything on Saturday night."

"Andrew, that's not nice."

"It's true."

Sean shook his head and walked over to Drew's door, "Dinner will be ready soon."

"I'll be up there in a few minutes." Sean was about to walk out when Drew said, "Hey dad?"

Sean turned and said, "Yeah?"

"Thank you."

He smiled and said, "You're welcome."

* * *

Following a quiet dinner, Drew retreated to his room, and Sean and Emma went up to their room.

"I can't wait to see this outfit."

Sean called out from the bathroom and said, "It's not that big a deal." He looked at himself in the mirror, straightened his jacket, and walked out. "So, how do I look?"

Emma smiled, "You look great."

"Are you sure?" Sean looked down at himself and fidgeted. He couldn't stop straightening his jacket.

"Um, yes? Why are you asking?" Sean shrugged, and she walked over to him, "I like you in a suit."

"I guess I'm not used to them."

Emma placed her hands on his chest and said, "The shirt really brings out your eyes."

Sean laughed again and said, "That's what Jay said."

"So, are you wearing this Saturday night?"

Sean shrugged, "I'm not sure what I should do. I was thinking about wearing it Friday to your party."

"I think you should wear this jacket, a different shirt, and jeans for the party on Friday."

"Yeah?"

Emma nodded, "I even think this may be too dressy for Drake's party."

Sean said, "I may call his assistant and ask what the dress code is. I'm not used to going to houses on Bridle Path, nor am I used to going to houses owned by the biggest rapper on earth."

Emma laughed and said, "Good point. I have no idea what to wear either."

"Okay, let me take this off so we can go downstairs, cuddle, and watch T.V."

"I think you should keep it on. You look hot."

Sean laughed, "Oh, stop." He walked back into the bathroom, and Emma sat on their bed. After he took off the suit, Sean walked out of the bathroom in his boxer briefs and hung the clothes up in the closet.

Emma smiled at him, and he raised his eyebrow at her.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"No reason."

"Uh-huh." Sean got a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt and put them on. "Come on," He held out his hand and said, "Let's go down and watch crappy T.V."

Emma grabbed his hand, stood up, and kissed him, "Okay."

* * *

As Sean and Emma watched T.V., Drew made his way upstairs and peeked into the living room. Sean noticed him and smiled, "Hey, kiddo."

"Hey." Drew walked over and sat on the loveseat.

Emma asked, "Did you read Gatsby tonight?"

"Unfortunately."

Both Sean and Emma laughed, then Emma said, "So your dad told you about Saturday night, right?"

"Yes."

"You can invite Maddie over if you want. She can even sleepover."

Drew's eyes lit up, "Yeah?"

"Sure. She can stay in the guest room upstairs."

"Cool, thanks."

"You're welcome."

Drew looked at his parents, "I still can't believe you're going to a party at Drake's."

Emma laughed, "Neither can we."

Sean smiled and asked, "Hey, do we still have ice cream?"

"We do." Emma was about to stand up when Sean stopped her.

"I can get it." He looked at Drew, "Want some?"

"Sure." Drew stood up and walked into the kitchen with his dad.

"Everything okay?"

"Yep." Drew opened the cabinet and grabbed three bowls, then opened the drawer and grabbed three spoons and the ice cream scoop. "Here."

"Thanks."

Drew stood next to Sean as he filled the bowls with ice cream. When Sean was finished with the first two bowls, Drew walked one over to Emma, "Here you go, mom."

"Thanks, sweetie."

Sean joined them and sat back down next to Emma.

Drew smiled at them and said, "I'm lucky to have you both in my life."

Sean smiled, "I could say the same thing."

Emma kissed Sean's shoulder. "So could I."

Drew asked, "When we finish the ice cream, can I practice my presentation in front of you?"

Emma said, "Of course!"

"Cool. Thanks."

* * *

When Drew finished his presentation, Emma and Sean clapped.

Drew blushed and said, "Okay, don't get too crazy."

Emma said, "Sweetie, it was great! Really."

Sean nodded, "I think Perino will like it."

"You think so?"

Sean nodded again, "Yep."

Emma asked, "Are you going to do all the talking?"

"No, we're going to alternate."

Emma nodded, "Well, I see another good grade in your future, kiddo."

"Good."

She said, "You're really turning things around."

Drew smiled, "Thanks."

Emma's eyes welled up with tears.

"Mom, are you okay?"

She nodded, "Yep. I'm just so proud of you." She wiped her face as the tears fell from her eyes. "Sorry."

"So, you think Perino will like it?"

Sean joked, "If he doesn't, maybe I'll pay him a visit."

Emma laughed, "I'd love to see Perino's face if you showed up to confront him."

Drew said, "I'll be right back."

He brought his stuff down to his room, and Sean turned to Emma, "Were those tears really about Drew turning things around?"

She nodded, "Yes, I promise."

"Good." Sean leaned forward and kissed her. When he pulled away, "Perino better give Drew a good grade."

Emma smiled, "I think he will."

While Drew was in his room, his phone buzzed. It was a text from Oliver.

"I just thought of something."

Drew, intrigued, immediately wrote back, "Oh yeah?" As he waited for Oliver to text him back, he put all of the materials for the presentation into his bag. His phone buzzed again, and he smiled when he read the message and said out loud, "That could be perfect." Drew put down his phone, walked out of his room, and called up the stairs, "Dad! Can you come down here a second?"

Sean looked at Emma and shrugged, "Sure, kiddo." He stood up and said, 'Be right there." Sean walked down to the basement and into Drew's room, "Is everything okay?"

Drew walked to his door and shut it. "Read this." He handed his phone to Sean, and Sean read Oliver's message. "So, what do you think?"

Sean smiled and asked, "What's with you kids and your great ideas for marriage proposals?"

Drew asked, "Do you like that idea?"

Sean nodded, "I love that idea. It's perfect." He handed Drew his phone and asked, "Now, why couldn't I think of that myself?"

Drew shrugged, "You've had other things to worry about lately." Sean nodded again, and Drew said, "You can get grandpa to help."

Sean said, "That's true. I just have to figure out an excuse to get your mother to Degrassi."

"I think proposing in the place where you first met is a great idea."

Sean smiled and said, "I'll have to thank Oliver after I do it."

Drew smiled and wrote a message back to Oliver, "He loves the idea."

Oliver sent back, "Cool," and Drew smiled.


	49. Chapter 49

Sean woke up ahead of Emma the next morning, and he snuggled up against her. After a few moments, she stirred and smiled, "Good morning."

"Hello, beautiful."

She stretched and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Oh, nothing." Sean nuzzled her neck and said, "I just wanted to snuggle with you before I had to get up and get ready for work."

"Mmmm, okay. I don't mind snuggling with you."

He asked, "Do you have a busy day today?"

"Not really. I don't have to do anything at the Rosedale house until Sunday. I just have to go into the office and straighten out some paperwork."

"Me too." Sean started kissing Emma's neck, and she giggled. He pulled away and asked, "Why are you laughing?"

"I don't know. I thought we were just snuggling."

"I've changed my mind." Sean raised his head and asked, "Is that okay?"

"Yes. Of course, it's okay."

"Oh, good." He kissed his way down Emma's body and lifted her oversized t-shirt. "This is in the way."

Emma helped Sean take her t-shirt off and helped him pull down her panties. "Are you going to be naked too?"

Sean kissed her belly and said, "Eventually."

As Sean kissed his way down, Emma said, "What a great way to wake up."

* * *

Later that morning, Sean and Drew were in the kitchen while Emma was upstairs finishing up getting ready for work. Drew was eating a muffin, and Sean was drinking his coffee.

"So, you're all set for Perino, right?"

Drew nodded, "Yep. I think we're going to do well."

Sean smiled, "I think you will too. And if he gives you a crappy grade, I can visit him."

Drew laughed and said, "You don't have to do that, dad."

Sean took a sip of his coffee, then asked, "And what about the other stuff we talked about?"

Drew blushed.

"Oh, come on." Sean smiled, then said, "I know what it's like to want to kiss someone and not be able to do it for a while."

"Mom?"

"Yep." Sean nodded, "Oh, and with regards to the other thing we talked about, I came up with an idea." Emma was making her way down the stairs, and Sean said, "That I will tell you about some other time." Sean quickly changed the subject and asked, "So you still don't like Gatsby, huh?"

Drew pretended to gag, and Sean laughed at his son.

Emma walked toward the kitchen, "You're still here?"

Sean smiled and said, "I am just on my way out the door. I needed a second cup of coffee." He winked at her.

She smiled and kissed his cheek. "Have a good day at work."

"You too." He looked at Drew and said, "Good luck today, kiddo."

"Thanks."

Sean walked to the front door, grabbed his jacket, and left.

Emma asked, "So other than the Perino project, what else do you have to do?"

"Reading more Gatsby, which is torture," Emma smiled, and Drew said, "And we have a math test tomorrow."

She nodded, "I just need some coffee, and we'll be on our way."

Drew got up off his stool and said, "I better go and make sure I have everything."

"Yes. Do that."

He smiled and walked down the stairs to the basement. Emma's phone buzzed, and she turned it over. It was a text from Sean.

"This morning was fun, and I would like to do it again tonight."

Emma laughed and wrote back, "I have no problem with that."

* * *

Not long after that, Emma pulled up to Degrassi and parked her car. She turned to Drew and said, "Okay, good luck today, kiddo."

"Thanks." Drew gathered all his stuff and stepped out of Emma's car.

"I should be on time, but I'll text you in case plans change."

"Okay." Drew closed the door, and Oliver was waiting for him. "Hey."

"Hey."

Emma called out the window, "Hi, Oliver!"

"Hi, Miss Nelson."

"Good luck today."

"Thank you."

She put her window back up and pulled away.

Oliver and Drew walked up the stairs together and stepped into the building. Oliver asked, "So, are you ready for the presentation?"

Drew nodded, "Yep. Are you?"

Oliver smiled and said, "Of course." He asked, "Are you nervous?"

Drew shook his head, "Not really. I think it's going to be good. I practiced in front of my parents, and they clapped at the end."

"If I had come over last night, I could have practiced with you."

Drew nodded, "Yeah."

Oliver asked, "So they liked it?"

Drew smiled, "They did."

"And your dad liked the idea for the proposal?"

"He did. A lot. What made you even think of that?"

Oliver shrugged, "I don't know, but I thought about how you said your dad had loved your mom since they were in Grade 7 together, and I figured why not do it here?"

Drew smiled. They walked to Drew's locker together, and he opened it. He was getting his books for the morning and said, "Ugh. Is reading T_he Great Gatsby_ as much torture for you as it is for me?"

Oliver laughed and said, "Yeah. It sucks."

Maddie walked up to her locker and said, "Good morning, boys. Enjoying Gatsby?"

Both Drew and Oliver groaned, and Maddie laughed.

"Hey, Maddie." Drew turned to her, "Do you want to come over on Saturday night? I'm going to be left alone for the first time, and my parents said I could invite a friend."

Oliver looked sad, and Maddie said, "Why not ask this geek over here?"

Oliver said, "My mom is not letting me go anywhere because I bombed on my math test this week."

"Oh." Maddie shrugged and said, "Sure, I'll come over."

Drew said, "Cool." He shut his locker and grabbed his stuff. "We'd better get to homeroom."

Oliver pouted and said, "Yeah."

* * *

That morning was a busy one at Cameron's Custom Cars, and Sean wished he had hired Hannah, the administrative assistant a week sooner. He sat in his office, glued to the computer most of the morning, and just before lunch, Jay peeked his head inside to check up on Sean, "Are you okay today?"

"Yep. Just really busy with paperwork."

"Ah, okay. I was going to ask you if you wanted to grab some lunch."

"I probably shouldn't leave, but how about we order in, and you hang out in here with me? I have something I want to talk to you about."

Jay said, "Okay." He walked into Sean's office and closed the door.

"Don't worry. It's not about work. Not that you have anything to worry about because you're leaving me soon," Jay smiled, and Sean continued, "It's about my proposal."

Jay walked over and sat down, "You finally thought of one?"

"Not exactly. Oliver did."

"Your son's—"

Sean nodded, "Yes, Drew's friend Oliver.

"What was the idea?"

"To propose to Emma in Degrassi."

Jay smiled, "Propose where you two first met?"

Sean nodded, "We didn't meet until a dance the first night I was there. We were in some classes together during the day, but we didn't speak. I figured she was afraid of me, but she asked me to dance."

"Really?"

"Yep. I was about to beat the shit out Jimmy Brooks, and Emma saved me from getting in trouble by Raditch."

"Oh man, Raditch. I wonder what happened to that guy."

Sean laughed.

Jay asked, "So are you going to propose in the gym?"

Sean nodded, "I'm going to ask Snake to help, but I think I want to have the gym decorated as if a dance was happening, and I want the song we had our first kiss to playing while I propose."

"You kissed that night?"

Sean smiled, "No. We didn't kiss for a while. We finally kissed at her parents' wedding. Under a tree, by the water."

"Sounds romantic, Seany."

"It was. I mean about as romantic as it can be for two teenagers. That's when we got back together." Sean smiled, recalling the memory. "You should have seen Emma's hair that day."

"Oh?"

"There was a perm mishap. It was out of control." Sean smiled and exhaled, "Anyway, that's my idea."

Jay smiled, "I think that's a great idea. And I think Em will love it."

"I sure hope so."

"When will the ring be ready again?"

"I'm hoping by next weekend." Sean clicked away from a billing page and said, "So what do you want to order for lunch today?"

"Let's do some Chinese."

"Perfect."

* * *

Drew and Oliver had just finished their presentation, and they were waiting for Perino to say something. Drew's heart was in his throat. It felt as if everything went well, but you never know with Mr. Perino.

Perino nodded his head, stood up from where he was leaning against a shelf, and said, "Really nice job, boys."

The rest of the class couldn't believe it. Oliver smiled at Drew, and they made their way back to their desks.

"Now that's how you do a presentation, people. I didn't want to fall asleep or jump out of the window. I was engaged, and I wanted to know more." Perino looked at Drew and Oliver and said, "Stay after class." They both nodded, and Perino said, "Since that was the last presentation and we have some time left, I'd like for you to open your textbooks and read as much of Chapter 15 as you can before the bell rings."

The class collectively groaned, and they all reached for their books. Twenty-five minutes later, the bell rang, and as the classroom emptied, Oliver and Drew walked over to Perino's desk.

"I know you're both puzzled as to why I wanted to see you, but it's just to tell you that I'm giving you an A." Both boys smiled, and Perino continued, "You really did a nice job with the material, and I even learned some things I never knew about Dr. Naismith, so great job."

Drew said, "Thank you, Mr. Perino."

Oliver added, "Yeah, thank you."

"You're welcome. Now get to your next class."

Both boys nodded and walked out of the classroom. Oliver said, "Dude, we got an A!" He grabbed Drew and hugged him.

They hugged for a little too long, and an older student walked by and joked, "Get a room, boys."

Drew pulled away from the hug and looked at Oliver, "Maybe we shouldn't do that here."

"Oh. Right."

Drew looked around and noticed the door to the supply closet. "Come with me." He grabbed Oliver by the hand, pulled him into the closet, and closed the door.

Oliver asked, "What are you doing?"

Drew locked the door, turned around, and said, "I want to kiss you again, and we can't do it out there."

Oliver smiled, "Oh. Well, in that case." He leaned forward, and they kissed. This time it wasn't rushed, and Drew allowed himself to get into it. It was so much better than kissing a girl. This was precisely how Drew wanted to feel while he was kissing someone.

When they pulled away, Drew was smiling. "Wow."

"Yeah." Oliver joked, "How about we say that was our first kiss? Forget the other night in your room."

Drew laughed and said, "Okay."

"We gotta go to our next class."

"I know." Drew kissed Oliver quickly and smiled, "You want to leave first?"

Oliver nodded, "Yeah. See you later."

"Okay." They kissed one last time, and Oliver walked out, and Drew waited a few moments before he did. When he did, Maddie was standing there. Drew grabbed his chest, "Jeez, Maddie."

She smiled and said, "I just saw Oliver come out of here, so figured you'd be close behind."

"Oh?"

"Yes, because why would Oliver be in a supply closet by himself? I mean, I know he's weird, but he's not that weird."

Drew laughed, and they started walking toward their lockers.

Maddie asked, "How did the presentation go?"

"Perino gave us an A."

"Wow! That's incredible." She smiled and asked, "So were you celebrating?"

Drew lowered his voice. "I've been dying to kiss him for real, and my dad gave me the idea."

"Your dad told you to drag Oliver into a supply closet?"

Drew laughed, "Pretty much, yeah."

"Your parents are so cool. I wish they were my parents."

"Oh, speaking of that. You can sleepover on Saturday night if you want to."

"Really?"

Drew nodded and lowered his voice, "Yep. Please don't scream, but my parents are going to a party at Drake's house."

Maddie covered her mouth and said, "Oh my God!"

Drew nodded, "Yeah."

"Drew, that's amazing."

"I know." He put his Perino stuff in his locker and grabbed his math book. "I'm so jealous."

"Well, they can tell us everything when they get home."

Drew said, "True. So will your parents be okay with you staying over?"

"Yep. Not a problem."

"Great. It should be fun."

"So, how was this kiss with Oliver?"

Drew smiled, "Much better. Can't wait to do it again."

"You two are too cute. It's gross."

Drew laughed, then the bell rang, and he groaned, "Ugh, I'm always late for math."

* * *

After lunch, Sean went back to work in his office, and Jay went to work on a motorcycle. Sean was nearly done with the bills when his office phone rang. "Cameron's Custom Cars, this is Sean Cameron."

"Just the man I was looking for."

Sean couldn't believe it, "Tracker?"

"Hello, little bro."

"How are you? How's the family?"

"We're all good. I just wanted to let you know that I will be in Wasaga this weekend and next week."

"Oh yeah? Are you bringing everyone?"

"Nope. Just me, but I'll be staying with mom and dad. Do you think you can make it up there at some point?"

Sean sat back in his chair. "Yeah. Uh, maybe Sunday night? We have plans on Friday and Saturday."

"We?"

Sean smiled, "Oh, right, I'm back with Emma."

"Emma Nelson? Really?"

"Yeah. There's more."

"More?"

"We have a son together."

Tracker was taken aback and asked, "Are you serious?"

"I wouldn't joke about that. Drew's 14, and it's me all over again."

Tracker laughed, "Oh, boy. He must be a handful."

"Drew's a great kid. He is. Emma did a great job with him."

"When did you find out about him?"

"Only a couple of months ago. You won't believe it when you see him. The resemblance is uncanny."

"Are you and Emma getting married?"

"I hope so. I am getting a ring made and working on the proposal."

"Good for you. Seriously. You were miserable for a while, and I'm glad you have your own family now."

"Thanks, Tracker."

"So, how's the business doing?"

Sean smiled, "Oh boy, do I have a story for you."

After Sean told Tracker about all of the jobs, he's been getting lately, Tracker whistled, "Wow. That's impressive. I'm proud of you, kiddo."

Sean's eyes filled with tears, he cleared his throat and said, "Thank you." Sean wiped his face and said, "I told mom and dad I wanted to bring Drew up there to see them, so let's do Sunday night. We can all go to dinner."

"How did mom and dad react to the news about Drew?"

"They were shocked, but they were happy to have a grandson."

Tracker laughed, "Yeah. I couldn't help them there."

Sean laughed and said, "How are the girls? They must be getting so big."

"They are. It goes by so fast."

Sean nodded.

"Well, I'd better go. I still need to pack, and my flight is early tomorrow morning."

"Okay, so I'll see you Sunday."

"Yep."

"Have a good flight."

"Thanks, baby bro."

Sean hung up and immediately called Emma. Emma smiled when she saw it was Sean calling her. "Hello there."

"Hey. We have plans for Sunday night."

"Wow, this is going to be a busy weekend."

"Yeah. We're going up to Wasaga Beach."

"To see your parents?"

"And Tracker. He's flying in tomorrow."

"Really?"

"Yep. I just got off the phone with him."

"Well, that's a nice surprise. So you told Tracker all about Drew."

"I told him all about Drew and you."

Emma sighed, "I'm so afraid they're all going to hate me because of what I did to you and Drew."

"I won't let that happen."

"I'm still nervous about it."

"Babe, it will be fine. I promise. We love each other, we love our son, and that's all that matters."

Emma smiled, "Thank you. So how is your day going?"

"It was busy, and I had to eat lunch in my office, but I got a lot done."

"Good."

"And yours?"

"It's been fine. I've been thinking about Drew's presentation."

"I'm sure it went well."

Emma's phone beeped, and she looked at it, "Oh, there's dad on the other line. I guess we'll find out."

"Okay, tell him I said hi."

"I will, and I'll let you know."

"Bye, babe."

"Bye." Emma switched to Archie and said, "Dad?"

"Hey, kiddo."

"Is everything alright?"

"Oliver and Drew are the only students in Perino's class to get an A on their presentation."

"Oh, dad, that's great."

"I know." Archie rubbed his temple, "There's something else."

"Something bad?"

"Well, you know how we have security cameras in Degrassi?"

Emma scoffed, "Yeah, you should have had them back when I was there, but go on."

"Drew and Oliver went into one of the supply closets together."

Emma gasped and covered her mouth.

"Yeah. They weren't in there long, and there aren't any cameras in there."

Emma couldn't help but giggle. "Could you see who the aggressor was?"

Archie cleared his throat and said, "It was Drew."

"Do you want us to talk to him?"

"Just tell him to be careful, okay? I understand that they don't want to be out in public yet, but they can't be sneaking into our supply closets."

Emma smiled, "I will. Thanks for letting me know."

"You're welcome."

Emma ended the call and burst out laughing. She immediately called Sean back and told him what happened.

Sean said, "Oh, that's my fault."

"Your fault? How?"

"I kind of told Drew to take matters into his own hands and find a place where they could be alone."

"Sean!" Emma laughed, "My poor dad."

"I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't have done that."

"It's fine."

Sean said, "So Degrassi finally has cameras? Too bad they didn't have them when that Peter guy panted the pot in my locker."

Emma said, "Gosh, that was so long ago."

"I never forgot about it. It changed the course of my life."

"Yeah..."

"Anyway, I'll be home on time. Want me to pick up dinner?"

"Sure."

"Any preference?"

"How about I text you when I pick up our son from school, and I'll let you know then?"

"Perfect."


	50. Chapter 50

**Just a quick note: First of all, 50 chapters? How did I get here? Secondly, thanks to everyone who reads this convoluted story that has no real focus and just comes to me as I write it. (I know, that's a bad thing, but it's how I write.) Lastly, I appreciate all the readers and followers, and I appreciate all the reviews. Thank you. (That wasn't so quick. Sorry.) **

* * *

As Emma waited for Drew outside of Degrassi, she checked her work email one last time. Everything was on schedule with the Rosedale house, and she had just got another listing not too far from it. She was just closing out of her email when Drew got into the car. He had a big smile plastered on his face. Emma said, "I take it you had a good day?"

"Yes." Drew closed the passenger door and put on his seatbelt. "Perino gave us an A."

Emma smiled and said, "I know. Your grandpa told me."

"Oh."

"So did Perino have anything nice to say?"

"Mom, he told everyone else in the class that our presentation was the best and that everyone else should've done what we did."

"Wow. I'm impressed."

"It was so strange to see him smile. It kind of freaked me out."

Emma laughed then asked, "So, is there anything else I need to know about?"

"Um, no?"

"That's not what grandpa said."

Drew had a puzzled look on his face. He racked his brain, trying to think of something that caused his grandpa to be mad.

Emma said, "You know that Degrassi has security cameras, right?" Drew's face turned bright red, and Emma continued, "It's fine. You're not in trouble."

Drew closed his eyes and rested his head on the back of the seat, "God, this is so embarrassing."

"There isn't a camera in the supply closet, so your grandpa saw nothing. He just assumed that you and Oliver went in there for a reason."

Drew opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling of the car, "I just wanted to be alone with him even if it was only for a minute."

Emma placed her hand on Drew's and said, "Drew, I get it. I do."

Drew turned to Emma and said, "Was it like that for you and dad?"

"Sometimes." Emma grabbed her phone again and said, "And speaking of dad, he's bringing home dinner tonight, and he wanted to know what we wanted."

Drew shrugged, "Pizza?"

"Again? We had it the other night."

"I know, but I want it again."

Emma chuckled, "Okay. We'll do pizza." She texted Sean and told him to bring home pizza for dinner, then put her phone back into her bag. "You said you have a math quiz tomorrow?"

"Yep. We had a review today. I also have to read two chapters of Gatsby tonight."

Emma teased him and said, "Your favorite!"

"Ugh."

"Listen, don't worry about your grandfather, okay? He's not mad. He just wants you to be careful."

Drew nodded.

Emma smiled and said, "So let's head on home so you can read Gatsby."

Drew shook his head and couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

Sean and Jay were in Sean's office. Jay had finished his work, and Sean was about to finish his. "The supply closest?" Jay laughed.

Sean laughed and shook his head, "I told him he should take matters into his own hands, and he did."

"Man, Mr. S must have flipped."

"Nah, I think he was okay." Sean closed out of his design software and looked at Jay, "Is it weird that I'm proud of my son for doing what he did?"

"No. Not at all."

"I just want Drew to be happy. That's all I ever want for him."

"I get it." Jay smiled at him, then said, "So this weekend."

"Oh! I forgot to tell you. On top of Emma's event tomorrow night and the Drake thing on Saturday, we'll be heading up to Wasaga to see my parents and Tracker on Sunday."

"Tracker's back east?"

Sean nodded, "He's flying in tomorrow."

Jay asked, "What was your parents' reaction when you told them about Drew?"

"They were happy to have a grandson. Tracker has three girls."

Jay laughed, "That must be a handful."

"I can't imagine."

"They will probably flip when they see how much Drew looks like you."

Sean chuckled, "I already warned my parents and showed them a picture." He stood up and stretched, "I can't believe I was in here practically all day."

Jay stood up and said, "Did you get everything done?"

"Yep, so barring any unforeseen problems, I'll be able to work out on the floor tomorrow."

"Cool."

* * *

Sean picked up the pizza and texted Emma that he was on his way home. She set the table ahead of his arrival and called for Drew to come upstairs. When Drew walked upstairs, he said, "I got the two chapters of Gatsby over with."

She smiled at Drew and said, "Good. Now you don't have to worry about reading them later."

"Yeah. So dad's on his way?"

Emma nodded.

"Does he know about grandpa's phone call?"

"He does."

Drew sat down at the table and said, "Dad said I should take matters into my own hands, and I did."

Emma smiled, "Maybe this A from Perino will make Oliver's mom ease up, and maybe he'll be able to come over this weekend."

"You would allow him to come over while you're not here?"

"Yes!. It's not like you two will have sex while your dad and I are out."

Drew blushed immediately and said, "Oh God, mom. We've only kissed like three times, and most of the time, I can't look at him without blushing. I am nowhere near ready for sex."

Emma laughed, "Thank God."

Sean walked into the house, holding the pizza box in the air like a waiter carrying a tray, smiled at Emma and Drew, and said, "Dinner has arrived."

Emma smiled, "Oh, good."

"Congrats on the A, kiddo."

"Thanks."

"And congrats on taking matters into your own hands."

"Yeah, only to be caught by grandpa."

Emma shook her head, "He didn't see anything, Drew."

Drew put his head in his hands, and Sean shared a look with Emma. "Kiddo, it's fine." Sean handed her the pizza box, and he walked over to Drew. Sean placed his hands on his son's shoulders and said, "Don't feel bad about it, okay?"

Drew nodded his head.

Sean squeezed Drew's shoulders, "Come on, cheer up! You got an A from Perino. That is a thing to celebrate."

"I guess."

Emma said, "It is. He was a hard-ass when we were there too." She placed the pizza box on the table and opened it.

Sean laughed, "I think the highest grade I got in his class was a C-."

"I got an A or two."

Sean joked, "Of course you did."

Emma threw a napkin at him, then asked, "What would you like to drink?"

"I need a beer." Sean walked into the kitchen, "I spent the entire day in my office doing paperwork. I cannot wait for this new assistant to start. I want to work on cars full-time again."

Emma said, "Oh, right, that cute girl you hired?"

Sean laughed, "She was more than qualified, and she can't help how she looks."

Emma sat down at the table and said, "Couldn't you have hired someone older? Like a retiree who needs a part-time job?"

Sean opened his beer and walked back toward the table, "Look, I was desperate for an assistant. I would have hired anyone who came in."

Drew took a sip of his water and asked, "Mom, you're not worried about this, are you?"

She shook her head, "I'm not worried at all."

"You shouldn't be. Dad loves you."

Emma smiled and looked at Sean, "I know he does."

"I know you two should gross me out," Sean and Emma laughed, and Drew continued, "But you were miserable for so long, and dad makes you happy."

Sean squeezed Emma's hand.

She smiled and said, "You're right." She grabbed a pizza slice and said, "Now, let's eat before it gets cold."

Sean laughed and said, "You just sounded so old, saying that."

Emma smacked his arm.

"Oh, I nearly forgot." He looked at Drew, "We all have plans on Sunday evening."

Drew asked, "We do?"

Sean nodded, "We're going up to Wasaga Beach to visit my parents, and my brother, your uncle Tracker, will be there."

"He lives out west, right?"

"Yep. He'll be home this weekend and all of next week. He's flying in tomorrow."

"Was he shocked to find out about me?"

"Yes, but he was also happy about us being a family. He's excited to meet you. Your cousins didn't make the trip this time."

"Oh, well, it will be cool to meet him and my other grandparents."

Sean smiled then said, "Oh, I have to tell you one thing about my brother."

"What?"

"He's a lot older than me and a lot taller than me."

Emma giggled.

Sean asked, "What are you laughing about?"

"Nothing. I can't wait to see Tracker. It's been so long."

Sean smiled, "Yeah. He won't believe what you look like now."

Drew asked, "When was the last time he saw you, mom?"

Emma looked at Sean, "Was I even 14 yet?"

"Yeah. Tracker left when you were 14, and I was 15."

"Ah, right, what a fun time that was."

Sean shook his head, "Anyway, you're sure you're okay with this, kiddo?"

Drew nodded, "Yeah, I'd like to know my other family."

"Good."

* * *

After dinner, Sean and Drew went down to Drew's room. Sean told Emma they would talk about paint colors for Drew's bedroom, but he told Drew about his proposal plan.

Drew sat in his computer chair, and Sean sat on the end of Drew's bed.

"So, what's the plan?"

"Well, it's just an idea, and I still have to see if it's okay with your grandfather."

"Okay."

"So, I told you the story about how I met your mom, right?"

Drew nodded, "The night she asked you to dance?"

Sean nodded, "Yes. Now what was thinking is maybe we could set up the gym as if a dance were taking place, and I would bring your mom there."

"And then you'd propose to the first song you danced to?"

"No, the first song that played while we had our first kiss at your grandparents' wedding."

Drew smiled, "I think that's a great idea."

"Yeah? You'd tell me if it was bad, right?"

"I think mom would love it." Drew added, "There are nights when Degrassi has classes for adults, so do it on a night like that so it won't be so obvious. If you show up and there are no cars in the parking lot, mom will get suspicious."

"That's a good idea. You kids are just full of good ideas."

"I can probably get my friends to help decorate if grandpa lets you do this."

"That would be great, thanks."

Drew asked, "When will the ring be ready again?"

Sean exhaled, "Should be next weekend."

Drew smiled at his dad and asked, "Why are you so nervous? Mom loves you. She'll say yes."

"I know she will. I just want to make sure the proposal is special for her."

"It will be."

Sean raised his eyebrow and asked, "So, you dragged Oliver into the supply closet and...?"

"We kissed."

"Good for you."

"It was the way it should have been the first time. Oliver even joked about saying that the kiss in the closet was our first kiss and to forget the one that happened here."

Sean smiled, "I'm happy for you, kiddo. Really."

Drew nodded, "It's still annoying that we have to hide from everyone."

"I know."

"The real reason I dragged him into the closet is that we were hugging in the hallway after we left Perino's office, and an older guy walking by told us to get a room."

"Ah."

"The guy was joking. He didn't say it maliciously at all, but I figured other people would look at us, so that's when I saw the closet, and we went inside."

"Maybe people would accept you guys. You never know."

"I'm afraid."

Sean nodded, "I understand, but I hate that you're afraid to be yourself, kiddo." Drew said nothing, and Sean asked, "Are you done with your work for the night?"

"Not yet. I have a couple more things to do."

"Well," Sean stood up, "Come upstairs and hang out with me and your mom when you finish."

Drew smiled, "Okay."

Sean walked out of Drew's room, and when he walked upstairs, Emma asked, "So, did you decide on a color?"

"Not yet. Drew wanted red at first, but now he thinks maybe he wants a shade of blue instead."

"Who knew he could be so picky?" Emma giggled and patted the space on the couch next to her, "Come and sit with me."

Sean smiled and sat down next to her, "How was your day?"

"It was good. I got a new listing."

"Oh, yeah?"

Emma nodded, "It's not too far from the Rosedale house."

"So it will be another big commission, huh?"

"Yep. I thought we could renovate this floor and the second floor."

"Really?"

Emma smiled, "I like our floor and Drew's floor."

Sean smiled, "Me too."

"Plus, we'll need a nursery soon." Sean looked at her, and she said, "Not that soon."

"Oh, okay. I thought you were trying to tell me something."

"Not yet." She kissed him and pulled away, smiling.

"It wasn't like it worried me." He laced his fingers with hers and said, "You know I want to have a baby with you again, but I think we should do everything in the correct order this time."

"Who knew you were so traditional?"

Sean smiled, "I'm not that traditional. But I'd like to marry you first."

"Oh, yeah?"

Sean nodded. "Yes."

Emma nodded, "Okay, so let's get married."

Sean laughed, "I still have to propose and give you a ring."

"We don't have to do that. We can go to a courthouse and do it tomorrow."

"Em, you keep changing your mind about this. Tomorrow you'll wake up and want a big wedding."

Emma smiled, "You're right."

Sean smiled. He wanted his proposal to be grand and unexpected, and he didn't want them to rush into a wedding before he could do it.

* * *

Drew and Oliver were texting back and forth, discussing their kiss in the closet.

Oliver wrote, "It is funny we kissed in a closet."

Drew laughed at Oliver's message and said, "I didn't even think of that."

"I wish we could kiss in the hallway."

"Me too, but I'm afraid of how people will react."

"Sometimes, I don't care how people will react. Straight people are constantly shoving their relationships in our faces. Why can't we?"

Drew's heart skipped a beat, and he wrote back, "Are we in a relationship?"

It took a little while for Oliver to write back, and Drew felt anxious waiting for his reply. When Oliver finally wrote back, Drew smiled. The text said, "We like each other, and we've kissed a few times. I think we're in a relationship." He followed that up with a quick, "Sorry that took so long my mom was yapping at me."

Drew smiled then wrote back, "So are we boyfriends?"

Oliver wrote back, "I guess so. Unless there's another name for it."

Drew thought about it and said, "Yeah, this is all new for me. I have no idea."

Oliver replied, "Me either."

"When your mom eases up, we should go to the movies."

"Yeah. There's nothing odd about that. We used to go to the movies all the time. Then we kept getting grounded."

Drew laughed. Oliver was right. It had been a while since they'd gone to the movies together. Drew wrote back, "I'd better go. I told my parents I'd hang out with them."

Oliver wrote back, "They're not too busy having sex?"

"I'm sure they will be later."

"Heh. See you tomorrow."

"Good night." Drew put his phone on his nightstand and went upstairs to join Sean and Emma in the living room.

Emma asked, "Did you finish everything?"

Drew nodded, "Yep."

Sean noticed his son's face and asked, "Is there something you want to tell us?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know. You have a goofy grin on your face."

Drew looked at his parents and said, "Oliver and I have to decide our status, but we're not sure what to call ourselves."

Emma smiled and said, "You're boyfriends, right?"

Drew shrugged, "I don't know what the correct term is."

Sean said, "I think the correct term is whatever you two decide. You don't have to go by the norms set by society."

Emma turned to Sean with her eyebrow raised.

Sean asked, "What?"

"I don't know you just sounded so smart just then."

"Oh, whatever." Sean hit Emma with a pillow.

"Hey!"

Drew laughed at his parents. "You two refer to each other as partners, right?"

Sean nodded, "It feels odd calling someone my girlfriend in my 30s."

Emma nodded, "And that will all change if we get engaged and get married."

Drew asked, "If?"

Emma corrected herself and said, "When."

Sean said, "It's perfectly fine if you want to call Oliver, your boyfriend, and tell people you're dating."

"Even if we can't go anywhere yet?"

Sean nodded.

Emma asked, "His mom didn't ease up after the A from Perino?"

"Not really."

Emma frowned and said, "I'm sorry kiddo."

"At least I get to see him in school."

Emma smiled, "That's true. Just make the best of it, and hopefully, his mom will lighten up soon."

Drew nodded.

* * *

Sean sat up in bed, waiting for Emma to come out of the bathroom. She told him she had a surprise for him, and when Emma finally walked into their bedroom, Sean smiled. "Wow, Em."

She twirled and asked, "You like?"

Sean nodded, "I love." Emma walked over to the bed and stood next to it. He asked, "When did you get this?"

"A few days ago." Emma wore a red lingerie set with a see-through baby doll top and a ruffled thong bottom.

Sean stood up and looked at her up and down, "I don't want to take this off you yet."

"No?"

He shook his head, "You look so good." He put his hands on her waist.

Emma smiled, "Thank you."

"How did I get so lucky?"

"You mean, how did I get so lucky?" She tucked a lock of hair behind Sean's ear and said, "Sometimes, I feel like I don't deserve you."

"Em..."

Emma placed her hands on Sean's chest and said, "You have become an incredible man, Sean Cameron. You're a wonderful father. Our son loved you right away. And you're so good with him. You're better than I am with him." Sean's eyes welled up with tears, and he shook his head, "It's true. You've helped him so much since you've come into his life. We're both lucky to have you."

Sean choked up and said, "And I'm lucky to have you both." He cleared his throat and shook the tears out of his eyes. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry." Emma caressed his face, and said, "I love you so much. And so does Drew."

Sean leaned his forehead against hers and said, "I love you both so much, Em."


	51. Chapter 51

Emma rested her chin on Sean's chest and smiled at him. "That was amazing."

Sean breathed heavily and couldn't speak.

"Are you okay?"

He nodded, finally caught his breath, and said, "Oh yeah."

Emma kissed Sean's chest, then flopped onto her back. "We are so good at this."

Sean laughed and said, "We are." He propped himself on his left elbow, looked down at her, and said, "I want to get you that outfit in every color."

Emma asked, "One for every day of the week?"

"One for every day of the month."

She giggled and said, "I'm glad you liked it."

"I loved it." Sean began tracing his fingers up and down from Emma's collarbone to her belly button. "And I love you."

Emma smiled, "I love you too."

Sean leaned down, kissed Emma, and as they kissed, she pulled him down, so he was on top of her again.

When they pulled away from the kiss, she said, "I love feeling your body against mine."

Sean raised an eyebrow and said, "Oh yeah?"

Emma nodded and wrapped her legs around him, "Yeah."

"I guess we're not going to bed anytime soon."

Emma shook her head, "Nope."

Sean smiled and said, "I have no problem with that."

Emma raised her head and rubbed her nose against Sean's, "Good."

* * *

Drew was awake in his bed, too excited to sleep. He needed to talk to someone about Oliver, and he didn't want his parents to know he was still up. It was close to midnight but Drew texted Maddie anyway. He hoped she was still up.

She answered his text right away, "Why are you still up?"

Drew typed back, "Because I think Oliver and I are boyfriends, and I'm too excited to sleep."

"You think?"

Drew texted, "Can I call you, or will you get in trouble?"

Maddie wrote back, "Yeah, call me." Drew sat up in his bed and called Maddie. She answered right away. "Tell me everything."

"We were texting earlier, and I asked him if he were boyfriends, and he said yes. But we don't think that's what we want to call it."

"Why not? That's what you are. Straight couples are boyfriend and girlfriend, and lesbian couples are girlfriend and girlfriend."

"I know, I just... " Drew rubbed his temple, "I don't know."

"Drew, I think people at school would be okay with it. You and Oliver wouldn't be the first gay couple at Degrassi."

"I don't even know if I'd want people to know I was dating a girl." Maddie laughed, and Drew said, "I'm serious."

"So, you're the opposite of your parents."

Drew rolled his eyes, "Oh God, I heard them again earlier."

"Oh, no."

"They're up on the third floor, and I still had to put my headphones on to drown out the noise."

"I never have to worry about that with my parents." Maddie laughed and said, "I'm not even sure my parents like each other anymore."

"Yeah, well, my parents are making up for the past 14 years."

"You mean they will be like this until you're 28?"

Drew laughed and said, "God, I hope not. I also hope I'm not still here at 28."

Maddie giggled then said, "I wonder what it's like to have sex. I mean, it has to be good if your parents can't stop doing it."

"Okay, I'm going to hang up on you."

"Oh, I'm just kidding. Let's talk about something else."

* * *

Meanwhile, upstairs, Sean and Emma had just finished taking a shower together and were finally getting ready for bed. Sean had already climbed into bed and was waiting for Emma to join him.

Emma said, "We are going to sleep well tonight." She crawled over to him and kissed his cheek.

He said, "We probably should have gone to sleep earlier."

Sean shut off the light next to the bed, and Emma snuggled against him. "True."

"I think I may go into work late tomorrow."

"Really?"

Sean said, "Sure, why not? It would only be like half an hour. It's not as if I'd stay home until noon." He sighed and said, "God, I wish I could."

"I wish I could do that too, but I have to drive Drew to school."

Sean thought about it for a second and said, "You know what? I'll drive Drew to school tomorrow."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. You can sleep in tomorrow."

Emma raised herself, looked at Sean, and said, "I know I've already told you this about five times tonight, but I love you a lot."

Sean kissed her and said, "You can tell me that as many times as you want."

Emma said, "I love you" and kissed his nose. She repeated it and kissed his left cheek, followed by the right cheek, and finally, she kissed him on the mouth and said it one last time, "I love you."

Sean laughed and said, "I love you too."

Emma rested her head on his chest, "We have a busy weekend ahead of us."

"We sure do."

"I think if we can survive this weekend, we can survive anything."

Sean chuckled, "I think we'll be fine."

"So do I."

Sean kissed Emma's hair, got into a comfortable position, and said, "Good night, Em."

"Good night."

* * *

"Thank you for listening to me babble, Maddie."

"It's fine as long as you return the favor when I start dating someone."

Drew smiled and said, "Deal."

"Oh, I forgot to ask."

"What?"

"Are you still hating Gatsby?"

Drew laughed, "Yes."

"Well, I can probably help you when you need to review it for the inevitable test we'll have on it."

"I will definitely take you up on that offer." Drew yawned and said, "I'd better go. It's late."

"Yeah. So, see you tomorrow at our lockers?"

Drew said, "Yeah. Thanks again, Maddie."

"You're welcome."

Drew ended the call, placed his phone on his nightstand, and laid back down. He fell asleep within minutes.

* * *

Sean woke up ahead of Emma and got ready for work. Emma stirred and smiled at Sean as he was buttoning his shirt.

He said, "Good morning, beautiful."

"Good morning."

"How did you sleep?"

Emma sat up and stretched, "Good."

Sean smiled, "Good."

She asked, "Are you sure you want to drive Drew to school?"

"Yes, I'm sure. You lie back down and try to sleep a little more, okay?"

Emma nodded and cuddled under the blankets, "Thank you for doing this. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome." He bent down and kissed her forehead, "Have a good day."

"You too."

Sean finished getting ready and jogged down the stairs to the main level. He could hear Drew's shower running and decided to cook some eggs for them both. By the time Drew came upstairs, breakfast was ready.

"Where's mom?"

"I'm letting her sleep in, and I'm taking you to school."

Drew looked at his phone and said, "Aren't you going to be late for work?"

"Only a little bit. I already let Pete and Jay know. They can open the shop for me."

"Okay."

"Now, eat up." Sean slid the plate of eggs over to Drew, who sat down at the island. "What would you like to drink?"

"Orange juice."

"You got it." Sean poured orange juice for Drew and grabbed his coffee. He sat down next to Drew at the kitchen island and asked, "So, how does your day look?"

"I have a math test, but we had a review yesterday, and I can review it again during my free period."

"That's good."

"Thank goodness for that free period. It's a lifesaver sometimes."

Sean smiled and watched Drew eat his breakfast.

Drew said, "So, you have a big night tomorrow."

"Thanks for reminding me. I need to call Drake's assistant and ask him how we should dress for this thing. I have no idea what I'm doing."

"It's not an awards show so you don't wear a tuxedo."

Sean chuckled, "God, I hope not."

Drew smiled, took a bite of his eggs, and after he took a sip of his juice, he asked, "Dad, can I ask you something?"

"Always. What's up?"

"It's about you and mom."

"Okay..."

"And sex."

Sean blushed and said, "Were we too loud last night?"

"It's fine. I have headphones."

"Oh God, I'm sorry, kiddo. I know that it can't be fun for you."

"But I get it. You just got back together, and when you love each other. Sex is something you're supposed to do when you love each other."

Sean nodded, "Yes."

"Are you trying for a baby?"

"Is that your question?"

"No, but I just thought of it."

"No, we're not. Not yet. I'd like to be married a little while before we start doing that." Drew nodded, "So what is your question?"

"I was just wondering when you start liking it."

"What? Sex?"

Drew nodded and said, "I know it can't be fun the first time because you're just learning what to do and everything,"

Sean smiled, "Yes, the first time can be awkward, especially if you're both virgins, but it also can be nice when you do it with someone you care about."

"It was like that with you and mom?" Sean nodded. "Don't worry. I'm nowhere near having sex with anybody." Sean raised his eyebrow, and Drew continued, "I'm just curious about how it is for straight people."

"Well, I suppose it's the same for gay people. You'd probably want your first time to be with someone who cared about you and have it be with someone you trust."

"Have you ever have sex just to have sex?"

"Maybe once or twice in my 20s, but I usually would do it only if I were in a relationship. I was never the type of guy to sleep around anyway." Sean quickly added, "Not that there's anything wrong with it, but it's not how I operate."

Drew asked, "How many relationships have you been in?"

"Including mom," Sean started counting on his fingers, "Five? Six? Nothing lasted for more than six months in my 20s."

"Was that because you were still hung up on mom?"

Sean nodded, "I suppose so. I just probably didn't realize it then."

"Mom never really dated. She was always too busy with me."

"Your mom loves you, and she probably wouldn't do things any differently."

"Well, other than telling you about me sooner."

Sean nodded. "I am sorry I wasn't here for so long."

"It's not your fault, dad."

"I know, but I still feel bad about it. I've missed a lot."

"Yeah, but you're here now, and that's a good thing."

Sean smiled and placed his hand on Drew's shoulder, "It is a good thing." Sean turned back to his food and said, "Now, let's finish breakfast. I don't want you to be late on the first day I'm driving you in."

"Okay."

Unbeknownst to Drew and Sean, Emma eavesdropped on their conversation. She didn't mean to, but she didn't want to interrupt them. She waited a few moments and then walked down the stairs.

Sean said, "Hey! Why are you out of bed?"

"I couldn't sleep, so I figured I'd get up and say goodbye to my boys."

Drew brought his plate to the sink and said, "I need to brush my teeth and grab my stuff."

Sean said, "Me too." He looked at Emma and said, "Remind me to get a toothbrush and toothpaste for the powder room, so I don't have to go back upstairs to brush my teeth."

Emma smiled and said, "Okay."

He quickly kissed her and said, "Be right back."

She watched Sean go up the stairs and smiled.

* * *

When Sean pulled up to Degrassi, Archie was outside. He waved and walked over to Sean's truck. "Hey there!"

Sean smiled, "Good morning."

"Where's Em?"

"I let her sleep in."

Archie looked at his watch and said, "Aren't you going to be late for work?"

"Yes, but I'm the boss, so I can just have my guys open up without me."

"Lucky you." Archie looked at Drew and asked, "How are you doing today, kiddo?"

Drew said, "Good." He opened the door and stepped out of the truck, "Thanks for the ride, dad."

"You're welcome. Good luck on the math test!"

"Thanks." Drew walked up the stairs and into the building.

Archie said, "I suppose Emma told you about the supply closet."

Sean nodded, "That was my fault."

Archie looked surprised, "How was it your fault?"

"I told Drew to take matters into his own hands. Sorry."

Archie smiled, "It's fine. I just want him to be careful."

"So do we."

"Alright, you'd better head to work, and I'd better head inside and make sure people aren't fighting."

Sean smiled and said, "People still do that at Degrassi?"

"It hasn't been quite the same since you left, Sean."

Sean laughed and said, "Very funny. Have a good day."

"You too."

* * *

Drew walked up to his locker, and Maddie joined him.

"Good morning."

"Hey. How did you sleep last night?"

Maddie shrugged, "I didn't sleep."

"Why not?"

"Insomnia. I'm always up."

"That's probably why you read so many books, right?"

She nodded.

"How are you not tired?" Drew yawned.

"I don't know. I guess my body can handle not sleeping."

Drew laughed, "Mine can't."

"Good morning, children."

Maddie shook her head, "Ethan, just because you're the oldest by three days..."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever." He looked at Drew and asked, "So, what's going on with you and Oliver?"

"We're together, but we're not going to be flaunting it around the school."

"Why not? No one will care. There's a gay couple in Grade 10, and no one bothers them."

"Exactly, they're in Grade 10."

"So, you're together but not together in school?" Drew nodded. "That's silly."

Drew rolled his eyes then said, "So are you still on Travis' hit list?"

"Nah." Ethan closed his locker, "The happy couple is back together."

Maddie closed her locker and leaned against it, "Imagine how miserable it is being Travis and Olivia. They're constantly breaking up and making up. It's such a joke."

Ethan looked at Drew and said, "Exactly."

The first bell rang, and Drew closed his locker. "Come on. Let's get to homeroom."

* * *

Emma sipped on her coffee and sat at the island in the kitchen. Her day wouldn't be busy. Everything was going well at the Rosedale house, and all she'd need to do is check out the new listing. As she was organizing her day in her head, the doorbell rang. "Who could that be?" She walked to the front door, opened it and squealed, "Oh my God! What are you doing here?"

Manny smiled and said, "Did you really think I was going to miss a party at Drake's house?"

They hugged at the front door then Emma let Manny into the house, "This is so great. Now you can tell us all how to dress for this thing."

Manny laughed than said, "I'm glad I caught you at home. Why aren't you dressed yet?"

"Sean let me sleep in, and he took Drew to school."

"He's stepped into his role as a dad, huh?"

"Manny, he's incredible." Emma shook her head, "He should have been here the whole time."

Manny nodded, "So, when are you getting married?"

"Not sure, but I think Sean's going to propose soon because anytime I mention that we should just go to the courthouse and do it, he tries to talk me out of it." Emma asked, "Would you like some coffee?"

"I'd love some. Black is fine."

"You got it." They walked to the kitchen together, and Manny sat at the island. Emma asked, "So how's work? I gather it's been busy because I haven't heard from you in weeks."

Manny said, "It's been hectic but also so rewarding. I think this pilot has a shot, Em."

"That's great!"

Manny nodded, "Yeah. So now we wait."

"I'll cross my fingers, toes, and eyes for you." Manny smiled and Emma asked, "What's up?"

"Nothing, I'm just exhausted. Jay doesn't even know I'm here yet."

"Want to surprise him at the shop?" Emma placed Manny's coffee in front of her, "I'm sure Sean would love to see you too. He's stressing out about this party."

Manny scoffed, "Like guys have to worry about this sort of thing? We're the ones who always have to look good."

"Sean was so stressed. He bought a suit."

"He did?"

Emma nodded, "God, he looks so good in it."

Manny laughed, "Oh yeah?"

Emma smiled. "Jay helped him pick it out."

"My Jay?"

Emma smiled, "Your Jay. It's a gray jacket, a purple shirt, and black pants. I never realized how good he could look in a suit."

Manny took a sip of her coffee and said, "You two are still fucking like rabbits, aren't you?"

Emma laughed, "I can't help it. I'm so attracted to him."

"That's always good."

"I know. I bought another outfit and wore it last night."

"I love that you're doing this on random weeknights and not waiting for the weekends to do it."

Emma laughed, "Well, this weekend will be hectic. We're going to Wasaga on Sunday. Drew's meeting his grandparents for the first time and Tracker's in town."

"Wow, how long has it been since you've seen them?"

"Tracker left when we were in Grade 9 and I've never actually met Sean's parents."

"That's crazy."

Emma nodded.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm afraid they're going to hate me for keeping Drew away from Sean for so long."

"Well, I'm sure Sean will not let that happen."

"Manny, they have every right to be angry with me. I kept their only grandson away from them for 14 years."

"Em, Sean forgave you. He's the one that matters the most."

"He had to forgive me to see his son."

"He forgave you because he loves you." Manny shook her head, "You shouldn't be worrying about this, Em. It's not until Sunday, and you have other things to worry about before then."

"Like what to wear to Drake's house."

"I can't believe we're all going to Drake's house. This is incredible."

"So you'll help me pick an outfit?"

"Of course, I will!" Manny smiled, "Maybe we'll go shopping tomorrow while the guys are at work."

"Yes!"

* * *

A little while later, when Emma pulled up to Sean's shop, Manny smiled, "I hope this will be a nice surprise."

'I'm sure it will be." Emma unbuckled her seatbelt and said, "Come on."

Emma and Manny walked into the shop and spotted Jay talking to Pete. He looked in their direction and smiled, "I had a feeling you would be here Dimples."

Manny walked over to him, "Oh?"

"Yep." They kissed hello and hugged.

Sean walked out of his office and said, "Hey! Look who's here!"

Manny and Sean hugged then Sean walked over to Emma.

He asked Manny, "So are you here to help us figure out what to wear?"

"Among other things."

Emma smiled and said, "I have to head out to the new listing I was telling you about." She kissed Sean and asked Manny, "You'll be okay here with the guys?"

Manny laughed, "Yes. I will be fine."

Sean joked, "I may put her to work." He looked at Manny and asked, "How are you with a wrench?"

"Hilarious, Cameron."

Emma laughed then kissed him again, "I'll see you later."

"Bye, babe."

They watched Emma walk to her car, and Manny asked, "So when are you proposing?"

Sean wrapped his arm around her and said, "Come with me into my office, Santos and I will fill you in on everything."

* * *

Drew and Maddie were at their lockers when Oliver walked up to them, "Hey."

Drew smiled, "Hey."

Maddie watched as the boys stared at each other and said, "Oh God, would you two just kiss hello? No one is going to care."

Drew narrowed his eyes at Maddie, and Oliver laughed.

Oliver said, "I have good news."

"Oh?"

"My birthday party is still on."

Drew said, "That's great!"

"Yeah. My mom was happy with the grade from Perino."

"I still can't believe we got an A."

Oliver said, "It's your A. You did most of the work."

Drew shook his head, "You helped."

Oliver scoffed, "Barely."

"It doesn't matter. Perino gave us an A." He asked, "You still can't come over tomorrow?"

Oliver shook his head.

"That sucks."

"I know."

Maddie closed her locker and said, "Come on, boys. We're going to be late for our next class."

* * *

Sean explained his idea for the proposal and waited for Manny's reaction. She looked at him, nodded then smiled, "It's perfect."

Sean exhaled in relief, "Yeah?"

"Yes. I love it. It's such a cute idea. And I know Em will love it too."

"I still have to talk to Archie about it and figure out the logistics." Sean grabbed his wallet, took out the drawing of the ring, and handed it to Manny, "This is what I'm getting made for her."

Manny examined the picture and said, "Sean, it's gorgeous."

"It's supposed to be ready next weekend." He crossed his fingers.

Manny handed him the paper and said, "So she keeps saying she wants to get married in a courthouse?"

"She's said it a few times, and I keep telling her that she'll change her mind."

"Do you want a big wedding?"

Sean blushed, "Yeah."

Manny smiled, "You're such a romantic, Cameron."

Sean rolled his eyes, "Whatever."

"I think it's sweet."

"I think Emma deserves to have a big wedding. And I don't think she thinks she does."

"You're right. Emma's still hard on herself for everything that happened with you and Drew, and I think she still doesn't believe she deserves you."

"Well, that's just silly. I forgave Emma, I love her, and I love my son. I want us to be a family officially."

Manny nodded, "You're a good guy, Sean Cameron."

Sean shrugged and said, "I'm alright, I guess."

"No, you are a good guy. You've grown up a lot."

Sean laughed, "I've had to. I wouldn't have been able to open this shop if I was still the same asshole I was at 18."

"You were never an asshole."

Sean cocked his head to the side and asked, "Manny, you do remember when we were teenagers, right?"

Manny laughed, "You weren't any worse than any other teenage guy. And even when you were doing the bad stuff, the nice guy was underneath waiting to come back out."

Sean nodded.

"Emma says you're an incredible father."

"I don't know about incredible. I'm just doing what comes naturally."

"Can you ever take a compliment?"

Sean thought about it for a second and said, "No?" They both laughed, and he said, "Sorry, but it's always been difficult for me to accept compliments."

"Well, you need to learn."

"I'll try. I promise."


	52. Chapter 52

Drew, Oliver, Maddie, and Ethan were sitting together in the caf for lunch, and Ethan asked, "So you're a couple, but you don't want anyone to know?"

Drew said, "You know."

Ethan laughed, "I meant everyone else."

Oliver said, "I don't mind if people know."

Drew turned to him, "You don't?"

"Not really."

Ethan said, "If anyone has a problem with it, I can always beat them up for you."

Oliver laughed and said, "That's okay."

"I'm serious. You guys should be able to walk around here with no problems." Ethan was similar to Sean in that he wasn't very tall, but he also wasn't afraid of many people and would stand up for himself and his friends no matter what.

Drew reached under the table and placed his hand on Oliver's. Oliver turned his hand over, and they laced their fingers together.

Maddie asked, "So what time are your parents leaving tomorrow?"

"I have no idea."

"I still can't believe they're going to Drake's house for a party."

Ethan said, "Wait, what?"

Drew nodded, "Drake liked my dad's work so much that he invited my dad and his two best mechanics to a party at his house."

"Holy sh—" Ethan stopped himself when he noticed Mr. Perino walking over. "Cow. Holy cow. That's incredible!"

Oliver said, "He lives in Bridle Path, right?"

Maddie said, "Yes. His house is ridiculous, and he has a $300K bed." They all looked at her, and she said, "I saw a video about it!"

Ethan said. "I can't believe Drake invited your dad to his house. That would never happen to my dad."

Drew smiled, "My dad is awesome at his job, and your dad is a lawyer. You never know."

Ethan asked, "Do you want to work with your dad when you're older?"

He shrugged, "I've helped him out at his shop a couple of times, and I liked it a lot, but who knows. I'm only 14. I have no idea what I want to do."

Maddie said, "It's good to know that you have a business in the family."

Drew nodded, "My dad can teach me everything, so I won't be useless when I finally get a car."

Oliver said, "We're only two years away. It's going to be so cool to drive everywhere and not depend on our parents."

Ethan said, "I've already driven my brother's car."

Drew, Oliver and Maddie said in unison, "Really?"

Ethan nodded and smiled, "Yep. On a back road far away from people but he let me drive it for a while. It was so cool."

Drew said, "I can't wait to drive a car."

Maddie asked, "Do you think your dad will fix up a car for you?"

Drew shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe."

Maddie scoffed, "Of course, he will. Your dad loves you, and he's cool."

Oliver joked, "You _love_ Mr. Cameron, huh?"

The boys all laughed at her.

She rolled her eyes and said, "Oh, whatever."

Ethan asked, "Hey, Nelson, are you changing your name when your parents get married?"

Drew nodded, "My middle name is Cameron, so I'll just switch them around."

Ethan nodded, "Cameron _is_ a pretty cool name."

Drew smiled then flinched at someone's high pitched squeal directly behind him.

"Oh, my God!" They all looked, and Olivia of 'Olivia and Travis' was standing behind Oliver and Drew. She put her hands around them and said, "Are you two a couple now?!"

Drew pulled his hand away from Oliver's hand, and Oliver said, "You don't need to announce it to the whole school, Olivia."

"Why not? It's adorable!"

Drew's face turned bright red, and Maddie said, "Olivia, leave them alone."

"Oh, come on!" She pulled a chair up to the table and asked, "What's the big deal? There are other gay couples at Degrassi."

Drew couldn't say anything.

"Aw. You're adorable together, and you do make a cute couple." She looked at Ethan and smiled at him, "How are you, Ethan?"

"I'd be better if you weren't sitting here, Olivia."

Olivia scoffed, "Don't worry about Travis. He doesn't want to kill you anymore."

"Oh, goody." Ethan rolled his eyes. "And I wasn't worried."

"That's right, you're a tough guy, and you can stand up for yourself." She smiled at him and said, "That's pretty hot."

Drew sat there, still not saying anything. Oliver whispered, "Are you okay?"

Drew nodded, then looked around the caf, and no one was staring at them. No one even cared about Olivia's announcement. He put his hand back onto Oliver's, and Oliver squeezed it.

"Anyway," Olivia stood up and said, "I'd better go. See ya later!"

When Olivia walked away, Maddie shook her head, "She's such a bitch."

Drew lifted his and Oliver's hand and placed them on top of the table.

Ethan said, "I thought you didn't want people to know."

"Olivia just shouted it out to the world, and no one cared."

Oliver smiled, "So no more hiding?"

"Nope." Drew joked, "Just don't expect me to make out in the hallways or anything."

"Cool."

Drew smiled and took a deep breath.

* * *

Emma drove back to Sean's shop with lunch for her, Sean, Manny, and Jay. She walked into Sean's office doorway and announced, "Lunch is here!"

Sean smiled and walked over to Emma, "Thanks for this, babe."

She kissed him, "You're welcome. How's your day going?"

"It's going well. I should be out on time, and we can go to your party."

Emma smiled.

Jay brought in an extra chair so all four of them could eat in Sean's office.

Manny asked, "Where's this party tonight?"

"At a new complex at 35 Baseball."

Jay joked, "So it won't be a rager like the one at Drake's?"

Sean said, "We don't know if the one at Drake's is going to be a rager. We could be going there to meet up with a few people."

Emma said, "We won't be there that long tonight. Maybe an hour or two."

Sean turned to her, "Oh?"

Emma nodded, "I need to make an appearance and schmooze a bit. We should be home by 9:30-10."

Manny asked, "Are you leaving Drew home alone tonight?"

"Yeah. Maddie will be over with him tomorrow night."

Jay smiled and asked, "Not, Oliver?"

Emma said, "Oliver is grounded."

Manny said, "Oh my God, that's why you were acting so weird at Drew's party! Drew and Oliver like each other!"

Sean nodded, "They're together."

"They are?" Emma nodded, and Manny said, "Your boy is growing up."

Emma said, "Don't remind me."

Manny put her hands on her heart and said, "My little godson." She looked at Sean, "And you're okay with this?"

"Yes. I'm perfectly okay with it." He added, "Why is everyone always worried about my reaction?"

Emma grabbed Sean's hand and said, "Sean has been incredible helping Drew through this."

Sean lifted Emma's hand and kissed it, "Thank you."

"It's true."

"I'm just doing my best and saying things I would have wanted to hear as a kid when I liked this one." Emma bumped her shoulder into Sean's, and he added, "We also told Drew that if he felt more comfortable talking to someone who has been through coming out as a teenager, he could talk to Marco about it."

Manny smiled, "This is so exciting!"

Emma laughed, "Exciting?"

"Yes! Drew has his first boyfriend! Have they been on a date yet? Have they kissed?"

Emma said, "No date yet. But yes, they have kissed. The first was one rushed, and Drew was a little upset about that, so he dragged Oliver into the supply closet at Degrassi yesterday so they could have a real first kiss."

Sean added, "And her dad saw it on video."

Jay joked, "Oh, Degrassi finally has security cameras?"

Sean said, "It's about time, right?"

Manny asked, "He saw them kissing?"

Emma shook her head, "No, he saw them go into the closet and assumed they went in there for a reason."

Manny asked, "And how did Archie react?"

"He wants Drew to be safe just like we do."

Manny nodded, "I think I want to hang out with my godson tonight while you're at your real estate shindig."

Jay asked, "You do?"

"Yes. You can come with me, and we can have our fun later."

Emma said to Jay, "I promise we won't be out long at all."

* * *

Drew opened his locker, and Maddie walked over to him.

"So, do you feel better now?"

Drew nodded, "Yeah." He put a book into his locker and said, "Again, we won't be making out in the hallway."

"Obviously."

"But at least I know it's not a big deal."

"I told you." Maddie shook her head, "I really can't believe that Olivia did that to you guys."

"It's Olivia, and she doesn't think about anything. She just does it. Like when she kissed Ethan in front of everyone."

"Good point."

"I can't imagine being like that." He closed his locker and said, "Alright. Wish me luck."

"Math test?" Drew nodded. "Good luck."

"See ya later."

Drew walked down the hall, and Ethan caught up to him, "Hey Nelson."

"Hey, are you ready for this test?"

Ethan joked, "Am I ever ready for math?"

Drew laughed, "It should be fine."

"We'll see."

* * *

Emma brought Manny back to the house after they had lunch with Jay and Sean.

"You can go up to Drew's old room and sleep in there for a little while."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! I have things to do anyway, so I'll be here working on some contracts."

"Okay, thank you."

"You're welcome."

"But before I go up there. Can I say how proud I am of you and Sean?"

"Proud?"

"Yes. It couldn't have been easy to find out Drew was gay."

Emma shrugged, "I suspected it. He never showed any interest in girls at all, and it wasn't the whole, 'he's too young to,' he just never did." She smiled and said, "He told Sean first."

"He did?"

She nodded, "Yep. Manny, Sean's been so great about everything. He's incredible."

"He grew up."

"Yes, and I cannot wait for us to be a family officially."

Manny smiled, then yawned.

"Uh oh, you better take that nap."

She yawned again, and Emma giggled at her. Manny said, "Thank you for letting me crash here."

"You're welcome."

Manny walked upstairs, and Emma turned to her computer. She had some paperwork to look over and wanted to go through her emails to make sure she hadn't missed anything important.

* * *

Sean grabbed his jacket and looked at Jay, "I'll be back in like half an hour."

"Is everything okay?"

He nodded, "Yep. I need to do something, and this is the only time I can do it."

"Okay."

"Hold down the fort."

Jay smiled, "Yes, sir."

Sean jogged out to his truck, got in, and drove away.

Ten minutes later, Sean pulled up to Degrassi and parked his truck. He jogged up the steps, opened the doors, and stepped into the lobby.

"Mr. Cameron?"

Sean turned and smiled, "Oh, hey, Maddie."

She asked, "Is everything okay?"

Sean nodded, "Yep, everything's fine. You're still coming over tomorrow, right?"

"Yep!"

"Good."

Maddie asked, "Are you here to see Drew?"

"No, I'm here to see Mr. Simpson."

"Oh. I hope you're not in trouble."

"Not this time." Sean laughed, "I saw the inside of that principal's office many times when I was here."

Maddie smiled and then said, "Well, I'd better head back to class, or Perino will put out a search party for me."

"Okay. See you tomorrow, kiddo."

"Bye!" Maddie walked away from Sean with a huge smile on her face and took a deep breath. She said to herself, "Oh God. Stop being such a dork, Allen."

Sean walked over to the main office and re-introduced himself to Archie's assistant. She told Archie Sean was there, and he told her to send Sean in right away.

"Go on in."

"Thanks." Sean opened the door, "Hey."

Archie looked puzzled and asked, "Hey there, is everything okay?"

"I think so."

"Sit down."

Sean sat across from Archie and said, "I need your help."

"Oh yeah?"

Sean took out his wallet and handed Archie the drawing of the ring. "I'm getting this made for Em. It should be ready by next weekend."

Archie smiled when he looked at the picture. "Wow. This ring is beautiful, Sean."

"I hope she thinks so."

"She will." Archie handed it back and asked, "So why do you need my help?"

"Because I have an idea for the proposal."

"Okay."

"I want to do it here."

Archie smiled, "Proposing where you first met. That's a nice idea."

"Well, there's more."

"More?"

Sean nodded, "I want to set it up to look like there's a dance, but the only two people at the dance will be Em and me. The kids told me you guys hold classes at night for adults?"

Archie nodded, "Yep. Friday nights, usually."

"I figure she won't get suspicious if there are cars in the parking lot."

"And how are you getting her here?"

"Still thinking about that. It's too late for parent's night, right?"

"Yes. Maybe we'll say there's a dance, and Drew will say he wants to go, and Emma will definitely want to bring him here."

"Would it be his first dance?"

Archie laughed, "Yes."

Sean nodded, "The kids said they'd help me set everything up if you gave me the green light."

"Hold on." Archie got up and walked out of his office. A few minutes later, he came back in with a yearbook. "The picture is in black and white, but here's a shot from that first dance you attended."

Sean smiled, "Wow. This is great."

"You can borrow it for inspiration."

"Thanks. I appreciate it." Sean laughed as he looked at the picture, "The Starlight, Star Bright Dance. I wasn't even going to go, but my brother said it would make my social worker happy."

"I'm happy for you all, Sean. Em was lonely for so long, and Drew needed his dad in his life."

Sean nodded, "I love them both so much. I never knew I could feel this way."

Archie smiled, "It's great, isn't it?"

Sean smiled, "Yes, it is."

"And they love you too."

Sean nodded, then exhaled, "I want this proposal to be everything Em's ever wanted."

"I think you asking is enough, Sean."

"I know, but I want to make it special for her. She deserves to have a great proposal."

"You've turned into quite a guy." Sean nodded, and Archie leaned forward, "Really. I'm proud to be your soon-to-be father-in-law."

Sean smiled and said, "Thank you, sir."

* * *

Emma walked upstairs to check on Manny, and she smiled at her friend, sleeping soundly in Drew's old. Manny stirred when Emma stepped on a creaky floorboard.

She grimaced and said, "Ooh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's okay." Manny stretched, "How long was I out?"

"A couple of hours. I have to pick up Drew."

"Don't tell him I'm here. I want to surprise him."

Emma smiled, "I won't. I'll be back soon."

"Okay."

Emma jogged down the stairs, grabbed her purse and coat, and walked out of the house.

* * *

Jay thumbed through the yearbook and laughed, "Holy shit, Cameron, look at you."

Sean furrowed his brow and asked, "What's wrong with me?"

Jay shook his head, "Nothing." Then he looked at Sean and said, "Earrings?"

Sean laughed, "Yeah. I thought I looked cool."

Jay continued to look through the yearbook, and he found a picture of Manny and Emma together. "Oh my God, what is up with Emma's hair?"

Jay showed Sean the picture, and Sean laughed, "She liked crimping it back then."

"They look like babies. My God."

Sean smiled when he saw it, "I know. It's crazy."

Jay asked, "So Mr. S said he'd help?"

"Yep. He thought the idea was great."

"Do you have any idea what you want to say to her?"

Sean nodded, "Yes. I just hope I don't start crying."

Jay smiled, "I hope you do." He handed the yearbook back to Sean.

Sean said, "I probably will. I always get emotional when I talk to Emma about everything."

"So probably you'll cry during the wedding too, huh?"

"I'll be marrying Em. My kid will be there." Sean laughed, "I'll be a mess."

* * *

As Emma sat in her car, waiting for Drew, Drew, and Oliver walked out of Degrassi together. Emma looked and noticed they were holding hands. She turned back to her phone because she didn't want Drew to think she was watching him. She smiled and waited for the door to open. When it did, she said, "Hey, kiddo."

"Hi."

Drew closed the door and looked at his mom. Emma raised an eyebrow, "What's going on?"

"Everyone knows, and everyone is fine with it."

"Oh, so is that why you were walking hand in hand with Oliver?" Drew nodded. "That's great."

"Yeah. Olivia, the one who is popular and breaks up with her boyfriend Travis every five seconds, announced it to the world during lunch."

"And no one said anything?"

He shook his head, "Nope."

Drew put on his seatbelt, and Emma said, "We had something similar happen when we were at Degrassi."

"Oh yeah?"

Emma nodded. "Someone announced something to the entire caf and humiliated someone else. It was _not_ a good thing."

"What was it about?"

"Someone was pregnant, and the girl who was dating the guy who got her pregnant blabbed it to everyone."

"Whoa!"

Emma nodded, "Yep."

"Things were crazy when you all went to Degrassi."

Emma laughed, "I suppose they were."

"So you and dad are going out tonight, right?"

"Not for long. We should be home by 9:30-10. And you're going to have company tonight."

"Am I?"

"You are."

"Who?"

"You'll find out when you get home."

Drew looked puzzled, and Emma smiled as she pulled away from the curb.

* * *

Sean's office phone rang just before five. It was the jeweler.

"The ring is ready?... Really... Wow, okay... Yeah, I can pick it up tonight... I can get there by a quarter to six... Great, see you then." He hung up and said, "Holy shit." He walked into the shop and over to Jay, who was working on a pickup truck. "Dude, the ring is ready."

"Already?"

"Yes. That's what I said."

"This is great! Are you still going to propose next weekend?"

"Yes. I want to get the fake dance set up."

"Oh, right." Jay smiled, "This is so cool, man."

"Yeah, I know. I may have Drew keep the ring in his room somewhere. I can't risk Emma finding it."

"Why don't you keep it in the safe here?"

"No way. Not after what happened."

Jay grimaced, "Oh yeah, right."

Sean nodded, "This is really happening."

"Yes, it is. Don't worry. I can help you too."

"Great, thanks." Sean pat Jay on the back, then walked back into his office, closed his door, and sat at his desk. It suddenly dawned on him that he hadn't reached out to the production guy Emma told him about. Sean opened his wallet, took out the card, and dialed the number. He wanted to ask David for a different favor.


	53. Chapter 53

**Author's note: Some smut toward the end of the chapter.**

* * *

Drew, Emma, and Manny were hanging out in the kitchen and talking while waiting for Sean to come home. Emma cooked, and Manny and Drew sat at the island chatting. Manny filled them both in on the pilot she finished.

Emma said, "Babe, that sounds great. Really."

Manny held up her hands and crossed her fingers, "Maybe this will be the one that makes it to series."

"We'll all be crossing our fingers for you."

Manny asked Drew, "So what's up with you, kiddo?"

Drew said, "I'm so glad this week is over."

Emma smiled and asked, "How much Gatsby do you have to read this weekend?"

"Ugh, three chapters."

"Well, look at it this way. The more you read, the closer you are to the end."

Drew said, "That's a good way of looking at it."

Manny asked, "Not liking Gatsby?"

"I hate it."

Emma laughed. "I think that's an understatement."

"What do you hate about it?"

"Everything. I cannot wait to finish it."

Manny said, "I know people probably say this all the time, but you are exactly like your dad." Drew smiled and Manny said, "Yep. Just like him."

Emma pulled dinner out of the oven, "I wonder what the next book will be." She thought about and said, "Maybe Romeo and Juliet?"

Drew joked, "Whatever it is, I hope it's something that doesn't torture me every time I read it."

Emma laughed again and placed the pan on the counter. "I'll let this cool a little bit. Sean should be home soon."

Manny asked Drew, "So you haven't gone on a date with Oliver yet?"

Drew shook his head, "No."

"Ah, I see."

"He's having a birthday party next weekend."

She said, "That's good!"

"It's a sleepover."

Manny nodded, "So no alone time."

Drew nodded, "It's going to be a bunch of guys in his basement, including his cousin. And we can't do anything at his house anyway because his mom doesn't exactly approve of gay people."

Emma added, "Yeah, apparently Oliver's mother had some awful things to say about their friend Braden's gay fathers, which is why Oliver didn't let Drew know how he felt until this week."

"Poor kid."

Drew said, "Not that we would _do_ anything. I'm not ready for that." Manny smiled at him, and Drew said, "I'm lucky my parents have been so cool."

Emma said, "Well, that's because we love you, and we want the best for you."

"I know."

Manny wiped a tear from her eye. Emma looked at Manny and said, "Are you getting emotional, Santos?"

"Ugh, I'm so weepy lately. And hungry." She stared at the lasagna cooling off on the counter. "God, that looks so good."

"Weepy and hungry, huh?" Emma laughed and said, "Maybe you're pregnant."

Manny's stomach dropped, "Oh my God."

Emma asked, "What's wrong?"

"What if I'm pregnant?"

Drew asked, "Wouldn't that be good news?"

"Well, yes, under normal circumstances, but if this pilot gets picked up, I can't be pregnant. I play a character who can't get pregnant! It's what the show is based on!"

Emma said, "Manny, calm down. You don't know anything yet. You may just be getting your period. It's all the same symptoms."

Manny said, "Oh, right, that's true." She clutched her chest, "Wow, that was a frightening 45 seconds."

* * *

Sean walked into the jewelry store, and the jeweler smiled at him right away, "I know you weren't expecting this so soon, but we didn't have as many custom orders this week, and I was able to do it."

"I appreciate that. Thanks."

The jeweler handed the box to Sean, "Let me know if it's okay."

Sean nodded and opened the box. His eyes lit up, "Wow, it's perfect."

The jeweler took the ring out of the box and showed Sean the band, "I made one slight modification right here." He pointed at the prongs holding the side stones, "Makes it easier for the stones to stay in place."

"I like that a lot."

"So do you think your soon-to-be fiance will like it?"

Sean smiled, "I sure hope so!"

The jeweler put the ring back into the box and handed it to Sean, who put it into his pocket. "The modification didn't cost anything, so the price is still the same."

"Are you sure?" The jeweler nodded. "Thank you." Sean paid for the ring and took a deep breath, "I can't believe this is finally happening."

"How long have you known her?"

"Since she was 12 and I was 13."

"Wow, that's a long time."

Sean nodded, "Yep. That's why I wanted this to be a special ring."

"Well, it is. Congratulations."

Sean smiled. "Thank you."

* * *

About 10 minutes after Emma finished cooking dinner, Sean walked through the front door, "Hi. Sorry, I'm late."

She smiled and said, "You're not that late!"

"I know." He walked into the kitchen and out of Emma's sight, mouthed to Manny, "I have the ring."

Manny smiled as Sean kissed Emma's cheek.

"Hey, kiddo." Sean looked at Drew and held up a small can of paint, "I brought home a sample of that blue you were thinking of for the wall in your room."

"Oh, cool."

Sean asked, "How about we take a quick look at it now?"

"Okay!" Drew got off the stool at the island and walked over to his father.

Sean looked at Emma, "We'll be right back."

"That's fine. Dinner is just cooling off. It'll be ready to eat in a few minutes."

Sean said, "Perfect."

Manny got up and said, "I want to see this color too."

Emma joked, "Well, now I feel like the geek in school who's left out of everything."

Sean smiled and said, "We'll show you afterward."

"Fine."

Sean, Drew, and Manny disappeared into the basement, and Emma started plating the food for everyone.

Manny whispered, "I cannot wait to see this ring."

Drew led Manny and Sean into his room and quietly closed the door. Sean took the ring box out and opened it. "Here it is."

Manny gasped, "Oh my God, it's gorgeous."

Drew agreed, "Wow, dad. Good job."

"So, do you think she'll like it?"

Manny nodded, "Sean, she's going to love it."

"Good. I still have to get everything together, but Archie gave me an old yearbook with a picture from the Starlight, Star Bright dance, so we have some idea of how to decorate everything. Unfortunately, it's in black and white."

Manny asked, "Where's the yearbook?"

"In my truck. I couldn't bring it in here."

"You also can't leave it in there if you're driving to Emma's shindig tonight."

"That is her jam. She can drive tonight. I'll drive tomorrow to Drake's." Sean chuckled, then looked at Drew, and asked, "Can you keep this in here, kiddo?"

Drew nodded. "I can also keep the yearbook in here. I'll get it out of your truck later."

"Great." Sean looked around, "How about we keep everything in the bottom drawer of your desk? Mom won't go in there, right?"

"She shouldn't."

"Okay." He handed Drew the ring box, "Please be careful."

"I will. I promise."

Sean grabbed the paint can off Drew's dresser and said, "I wasn't lying about the paint, by the way. It _is_ the shade of blue you were wondering about."

"Oh!" Drew put the ring in his desk drawer, closed it, and turned around, "I thought you did it throw mom off the trail."

Sean laughed, "No." He opened the can, took a small brush, and painted a square on Drew's wall above his bed. "What do you think?"

Drew nodded, "That looks cool."

Manny agreed, "It's a beautiful shade of blue."

"Okay. It dries a bit darker," Sean looked at Drew and said, "And when it does, you'll be able to see what it looks like in the morning light tomorrow."

"Cool."

Emma called down the stairs, "Dinner!"

"We'd better get up there before she gets suspicious." Sean closed the paint can and placed the brush on top of it. "Thanks, kiddo."

"You're welcome."

When they walked back upstairs, they went straight to the table, and Emma asked, "So, how does the color look?"

Drew said, "It looks cool."

Sean said, "It still needs to dry, but Drew will be able to see what it looks like in the sunlight tomorrow."

Emma nodded.

Sean asked, "So, what time do we need to leave for this party?"

"It starts at 7:30, but we don't have to get there right when it starts."

Sean nodded, "Okay."

Emma looked at Manny, "Is Jay coming over?"

"Yep."

Drew asked, "Are you two babysitting me?"

Manny laughed, "No! We want to hang out with you, silly."

"Uh-huh, right."

"It's true!"

Sean and Emma smiled while Drew pouted.

* * *

After dinner, Sean and Emma were upstairs getting ready for the party. Sean walked out of the bathroom in his towel and asked, "Okay, what am I wearing?"

Emma smiled, "You can wear a sweater and jeans. You don't have to dress up."

"Em, I want to look nice on your arm." He grabbed his new suit jacket and shirt, "What are you wearing?"

She held up a long-sleeved, light gray shift dress with bell sleeves and put it up against her body, "I was thinking of wearing this." It hit above her knees.

Sean nodded, "Yes, wear that."

Emma laughed, "You like it?"

"Yes, and I'm looking forward to taking it off you later."

She smiled and laid the dress on their bed. "Next up, shoes." She opened the closet and walked in. "Ugh, I hate that I have to go to this party. I'm not even working in this building."

"No?"

"No, I sell houses, mainly. One of the other realtors specializing in South Riverdale lofts is selling this entire building."

Sean whistled and said, "Wow, that must be a huge commission."

"It is." She grabbed a pair of black mary janes with two-inch heels and held them up, "Is it okay if I wear these?"

"Em, I'm not insecure about you being a little taller than me."

"I'll be more than a little taller than you in these." She slipped them on and modeled them for Sean. "What do you think?"

"I'm going to walk into that party with the hottest woman in Toronto." He joked and said, "I'll just stand on my toes tonight."

Emma smiled and walked over to the dress. She slipped it on over her bra and panties and looked in the mirror. She turned, looked at herself from the back, and said, "Ugh, my panties are showing." She reached under the dress, pulled them off, and looked at herself again. "There. That's better."

"No panties?"

She asked, "Is that okay?"

Sean looked her up and down, "Yeah, it'll make things easier for me later." He winked at her and took out a pair of medium-wash jeans. "I think these will probably look good with the jacket and shirt."

Emma looked and smiled, "You'll look great."

Sean couldn't stop looking at Emma in her outfit, and she asked, "What are you looking at?"

"Sorry, you just look so good right now, and I am looking forward to taking advantage of you later."

Emma giggled. "Well, the sooner we go to the party, the sooner that will happen, so get dressed."

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

Drew and Manny were hanging out on the couch, waiting for Jay to show up when Emma and Sean made their way down the stairs.

Emma looked at them and said, "Okay, we shouldn't be too late."

"Ooh, cute dress!"

"Thanks!" Emma twirled and modeled it for Manny.

Manny smiled and looked at Sean, "You clean up nicely, Cameron."

Sean laughed, "Thanks."

Drew said, "Dad, you look pretty cool."

"Yeah?"

Drew nodded, "Yeah. It's nice to see you dressed up."

Sean looked down at himself, "I'm not used to wearing jackets like this anymore."

Emma smiled and grabbed her coat, "I think you should wear them more often."

"Let's not get crazy."

Emma looked around. "Jay's still not here?"

Manny said, "He's on his way."

She nodded and looked at Sean, "Ready?"

"Yep."

Emma said, "See you guys later."

Manny said, "Have fun."

Sean joked and said, "We'll try."

When Sean and Emma walked out, Manny looked at Drew, "Okay, tell me everything."

Drew laughed, "About Oliver?"

Manny nodded, "Yes. This is so exciting."

"I'm glad everyone's been supportive so far, but I feel bad that Oliver has to hide this from his mom."

Manny shook her head, "It's sad that people are still so close-minded."

Drew nodded.

"And how is it at school?"

"Fine. No one cares."

Manny laughed, "That's good."

A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door, and Manny hopped off the couch. When she opened the door, she smiled, "Hello."

"Hello, beautiful." Jay kissed her hello and looked at Drew, "Hey, kiddo."

Drew gave Jay a head nod and said, "Hey."

Jay shook his head at Drew, "God, sometimes it's like I've traveled back in time, and you're your father."

Drew smiled.

"It's so uncanny." Jay and Manny sat together on the loveseat, and Drew stayed on the couch. "So, what's going on?"

Manny answered, "Drew is filling me in on him and Oliver."

"Oh, okay." Jay smiled, "I'm happy for you, kid."

"Thanks." He shook his head, "This is so weird."

Manny asked, "What is?"

"Everything. I'm out, I like my best friend, he likes me, and everyone, including my dad, who just came back into my life, seems to be okay with it. It's been quite a month."

Jay said, "That's a good thing, right?"

Drew nodded, "Yes, but it also worries me. Things are going too well."

Jay smiled, "Yep, you are exactly like your father."

"Was he always afraid of screwing things up when you were younger?"

"Was? He still is." Drew nodded. "But he won't this time because he loves you, and he loves your mother."

"I know."

* * *

Emma and Sean were in the elevator heading up to the recreation room at 35 Baseball. She explained to Sean about the party. It would be in that room, as realtors and their guests went down to the loft staged for viewing in small groups.

"The place is staged so everyone will have an idea of what it would look like occupied."

Sean nodded, "I can't believe all these new buildings. It feels like we're downtown."

"I know."

The elevator doors opened, and Emma followed the sound of voices. Sean said, "Sounds like there are a lot of people here."

"There are."

Sean said, "Yeah, great."

"It'll be fine." Emma grabbed his hand, and they walked into the room. "And just think, you can probably drum up new business tonight."

"I didn't think of that." Sean whistled, "Wow, look at this place. Even the common room is fancy. I can't imagine what the lofts look like."

In the middle of the room stood a model of the new building on a glass table while a pair of easels flanked it. They each displayed pictures of the floorplans of the units that were on sale.

Emma looked around and spotted her boss, "My boss Dylan is right there. And he's been wanting to meet you."

"Really?"

Emma smiled, "Yep. He insisted I bring you."

Sean nodded and said, "Alright, lead the way."

Emma walked ahead of Sean through the crowd of people, and Sean held onto her hand as he followed her, "Hi, Dylan."

"Emma! You made it. I'm glad."

Sean caught up to her, and Emma said, "Dylan, this is Sean, Sean; this is Dylan."

"Sean! I'm so happy to meet you."

"Thanks. It's nice to meet you too." They shook hands.

Dylan said, "You don't have drinks yet." He pointed toward a long table with every kind of drink you could think of displayed, "We have wine and champagne over there. And water, juice, and soda for the non-drinkers."

Emma said, "Great." She turned to Sean, "What would you like?"

"Water for me. I'll be the designated driver tonight."

She smiled and said, "I'll be right back."

"Okay."

Dylan asked, "So you own Cameron's Custom Cars, right?"

Sean nodded, "Yep. Opened it a few years ago."

"I have a friend who got his car detailed there a few months ago. He raved about your work."

Sean smiled, "That's nice to hear. Let me know if you ever need work done on your car."

"Oh, I will. Do you have a card?"

Sean reached into his pocket to grab his wallet, "I should." He opened his wallet and grabbed one, "I have to remember to order more cards." He handed it to Dylan, and Dylan thanked him.

Emma walked back over and handed Sean some water while she sipped on a glass of white wine.

Dylan said, "Well, I have to mingle." He looked at Emma and said, "Tell me what you think about the staging."

She smiled and said, "You got it."

"And Sean, I'll call you next week."

"Looking forward to it."

Dylan smiled and walked away.

Emma asked, "So, are you having a good time?"

Sean laughed, "We just got here."

"I know." Emma grabbed his hand and said, "Come on. Let's go look at the place."

"Lead the way."

* * *

Drew, Jay, and Manny had retreated to the basement where Drew and Jay played video games while Manny sat on the couch and read magazines. Drew kept winning, which was driving Jay crazy. Jay stared at the TV screen and said to Manny, "I hope this isn't boring for you, babe."

"Nah, I'm enjoying watching the 14-year-old kick your ass."

"Hilarious."

Drew said, "Oliver always gets mad when I beat him, and he accuses me of cheating. He's just jealous because I'm so good at this game."

Manny laughed. "Drew, do you guys have any ice cream?"

"I think so."

Jay said, "Ooh babe, can you get me some?" A couple of moments later, Drew killed him in the game, and he said, "Ah, shit!"

Manny said, "Jay!"

"Shoot." He looked at Drew and said, "Sorry."

Drew laughed, "You can curse in front of me. I'm not 6."

"Drew, do you want any ice cream?"

"Nah, I'm okay. Thanks." He turned to Jay and asked, "Ready for another ass-kicking?"

Jay said, "Bring it on."

* * *

Emma and Sean were standing outside on the model loft's balcony, looking at the surrounding buildings. It was a brisk night, and Sean asked, "Are you okay out here?"

Emma nodded, "I'm fine."

"Let me know if you get cold, and we'll head back inside."

Emma looked out toward downtown Toronto and said, "It's incredible how much has changed here in the past ten years."

Sean nodded, "I know. It's like they want to make South Riverdale look like downtown. I kind of hate it."

Emma giggled then lowered her voice, "Me too."

"I liked it over here because it still looked like a small town compared to downtown, but all these modern, glass buildings are ruining it for me."

"You nearly moved into one of these modern, glass buildings."

"Yeah, I know." He held her hand, "It's a good thing I was looking; otherwise, we wouldn't have seen each other."

Emma nodded.

"That wasn't a dig or anything."

"I know."

"Good." Sean raised Emma's hand and kissed it, "So, should we head back in there?"

"Yes, because the sooner we finish mingling, the sooner we can get out of here."

Sean smiled and led the way back into the loft.

* * *

After Drew beat Jay for the seventh time, Jay gave up. He put down the controller and said, "Okay, that's it for me."

Drew laughed, "Wanna play something else?"

"No. I've lost enough tonight. It's bad for my already fragile ego."

Manny snickered then asked, "Should we watch a movie or something?"

Drew asked, "Can we watch basketball instead?"

Manny said, "I wouldn't mind that at all."

Drew stood up and stretched, "We should go upstairs. That TV is better for sports anyway." They all headed up the stairs, and Drew asked Jay, "Are you excited about tomorrow?"

"I'm nervous."

Manny asked, "Babe, why are you nervous?"

"Dimples, how long have you known me?"

She laughed and said, "Too long."

"I'm afraid I'll say something inappropriate."

Manny said, "Hmmm, yeah, maybe you should let Sean do all the talking."

"Very funny."

She reached over and held his hand, "It'll be fine. Drake's just a person."

Jay scoffed, "Yeah, he's like the most recognizable person on earth at the moment."

Drew asked, "But you've talked to him at the shop, right?"

"This is different."

"How?"

"I'll be drinking."

Manny laughed, "Maybe we'll limit your alcohol intake tomorrow night."

Drew snickered.

* * *

Sean and Emma talked to one of her coworkers, Mitchell, who was telling them all about the trip he'll be taking with his partner to Italy.

Emma said, "That sounds like it will be heavenly."

"Have you ever seen Call Me By Your Name?"

Emma nodded, "Yes, and it made me want to move to Italy."

"That's why we're going. It looked so incredible. We went to Santorini last year."

Emma sighed and said, "I've always wanted to go to Greece."

"You should go!" He chuckled then said, "I didn't want to leave."

"I can imagine."

"Jacob had to force me to pack."

Emma laughed. "There are so many places I'd love to go to."

Sean said, "Maybe we can go to those places someday."

Emma squeezed his hand and smiled.

Sean sipped his water, looked around the loft at all the relators, and noticed his former realtor, Miriam making a beeline in his direction. He hadn't spoken to her since he dropped out of the apartment's bidding, and Sean could tell she wasn't pleased with him.

Emma noticed her, too, and said, "Hi, Miriam."

"Hello." She looked at Sean and Emma holding hands and said, "Shouldn't you both be thanking me?"

Emma looked puzzled and asked, "For what?"

"Well, if I hadn't gotten sick back in February, you wouldn't have gotten yourself a new boyfriend, nor would you have beaten me for the first-quarter sales award."

Emma chuckled and said, "Sean and I have known each other since junior high, Miriam."

"You have?"

Both Sean and Emma nodded, and Emma said, "Yes. It wasn't some conspiracy to screw you over."

Sean said to Emma, "But babe, Miriam is right. If she hadn't gotten sick, we wouldn't have seen each other, and we wouldn't have rekindled our relationship." Sean looked at Miriam and said, "So thank you, Miriam. Really. You being sick that day is the best thing to happen to us."

Mitchell stood there, sipping his wine, trying not to look at the exchange but also not helping himself. Miriam said nothing, turned on her heel, and walked away in the opposite direction.

Sean joked, "Was it something I said?"

Mitchell said, "Wow. I've never seen anyone shut her up like that."

Sean said, "There's a first time for everything, I guess."

Emma whispered to him, "We need to get out of here right now."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded.

Sean found a place for his water and said, "Mitchell, it was nice meeting you." They shook hands.

"You too, Sean."

Sean added, "Have a great time in Tuscany!"

"Thanks, we will. See you next week, Emma."

"Bye!"

Sean and Emma made their way out of the building and headed toward her car. He asked, "Why did you need to leave? Are you feeling okay?"

Emma nodded, "I need to have my way with you as soon as possible."

Sean smiled, "Oh."

Emma grabbed Sean's hand, and they walked to her car. She asked, "Where can we go?"

"You don't want to go home?"

"Not with Jay and Manny there."

"Oh, right." Sean thought about it for a second and said, "We can always go to my shop if you want."

Emma nodded, and they got into her car.

It didn't take long for them to get Sean's shop. Sean unlocked the door, deactivated the alarm, and let Emma pull her car into an empty bay. When she did, Sean walked over to her and said, "I don't want the police showing up."

Emma giggled.

Sean locked the bay door and asked, "Should we go into my office?" Emma shook her head. He asked, "Where do you want to go?"

"I want you to go into my passenger seat."

Sean raised an eyebrow and walked around the car. When he back got in, he asked, "We're gonna do it in here?"

Emma slipped off her shoes, climbed over and straddled him, "Yes." She reached down, hit the recline button, and Sean's seatback lowered. "I'm going to ride you in this car, Cameron."

Sean smiled and looked up at her, "I have no problem with that."

"Good." She unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants. "I was so proud to have you on my arm tonight."

"Oh yeah?"

Emma nodded, "Yes. You look so good in that jacket and shirt." She unbuttoned his shirt and traced her fingernails up and down from his abs to his collarbone.

"Well, you look amazing in that dress." Emma gripped Sean, he threw his head back, and he groaned, "I can't believe we're doing this right now."

She leaned down and asked, "Why not?"

"I never thought I'd have sex in a car in my shop."

"There's a first time for everything."

Sean reached down between Emma's legs and smiled, "You're already wet."

"I've been wet since you told off Miriam." Emma shimmied her body up and slowly guided Sean inside her. "How does that feel?"

"So good."

Emma smiled and rubbed her nose against Sean's. She pulled her face away from his just as Sean was about to kiss her. She shook her head and said, "Nope. No kissing. I want to see your face as I ride you."

Sean raised his eyebrow and said, "What has gotten into you?"

"You." Emma moved slowly at first, and she leaned down, so her face was close to Sean's but not close enough for him to kiss her. This drove Sean crazy.

He whined and said, "I'm going to get you back for this."

Emma moaned then said, "Promise?" Sean nodded his head furiously as she moved faster on him. "Good."


	54. Chapter 54

**Author's note: Lots of smut ahead. Sean and Emma were in a mood, apparently. **

* * *

"Oh, my God." Sean closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Fuck..."

Emma smiled and said, "Yes, we just did that."

Sean chuckled, "Wow, Emma."

Emma caressed Sean's face. "Are you okay?"

He opened his eyes, smiled, and said, "I'm more than okay."

She leaned down, kissed Sean's nose, and said, "We need to clean up."

"We can go to my office. I have a ton of those shammies in there." He chuckled and said, "Never thought I'd keep using them for this reason."

Emma smiled, thinking about the last time they had sex in his shop, "I don't know what it is, Cameron, but there's something about this place that makes me want to have sex with you."

"Yeah?"

Emma nodded, then lifted herself off Sean and opened the passenger side door. She got out of the car and walked toward his office. Sean sat up, straightened himself up as much as he could, and followed her. She turned around and said, "I think you being such an enormous success is sexy."

Sean raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

Emma nodded. "I find you sexy anyway, obviously, but I am also so proud of how well you're doing. It's an aphrodisiac."

Sean smiled and kissed her, "Thank you. I'm glad you're so proud of me." He shook his head and said, "I really can't believe we just did that."

Emma said, "Having sex in a car feels like something you should do in high school."

"How come we never did that?" Sean grabbed a shammy and handed it to Emma.

"Because we were too busy doing it in your bed and on your couch."

Sean chuckled and grabbed a shammy for himself. "That's right. I forgot about the couch." After he made sure he was clean, Sean tossed the shammies into a garbage bag. "We'll never use those again."

Emma turned around and asked, "How's the dress?"

"It's still hot."

She giggled, and Sean stared at her. "Why are you looking at me like that, Mr. Cameron?"

"Because I don't want to go home yet, Miss Nelson."

"You don't?"

He shook his head, then asked, "Can you do something for me?"

"Anything."

Sean asked, "Can you sit on my desk?"

Emma walked over to his desk, sat down, and asked, "Like this?"

He nodded and said, "Now, open your legs a little more."

Again, Emma did what Sean told her to do. "How's that?"

Sean smiled, "Good. Now shimmy to the edge of the desk."

Emma moved down to the edge of the desk and asked, "Is this okay?"

"It's perfect." Sean took off his jacket, put it on the back of his chair, then sat down. He wheeled the chair over to his desk, stopped in front of Emma, looked at her, and smiled, "You don't mind, do you?"

Emma shook her head, then moaned as Sean traced his fingers up and down. "Oh God, not at all."

"Good." He draped Emma's legs over his shoulders, and she cried out as soon as his mouth touched her.

* * *

Manny looked at her phone and said, "I thought they were coming home early?"

Jay said, "Maybe the party was better than they thought?" Drew shook his head, and Jay asked, "What?"

"Knowing my parents, they're out having sex somewhere."

Manny giggled, "Oh?"

Drew nodded, "They do it a lot. I had to put on my headphones the other night to drown them out, and they're up in the attic."

Jay said, "Well, I guess they're making up for all the time they lost."

"I know, and I get it, but it's not fun for me."

Manny put her hand on Drew's shoulder. "Don't worry, kiddo. I'm sure things will slow down, eventually."

Drew scoffed, "Yeah, right."

"No, really, they're still in the honeymoon phase of their relationship. That usually only lasts a few months. All relationships settle down at some point, and it's not about sex all the time."

Jay said, "Oh, no?"

Manny laughed and threw a pillow at Jay, "Oh, shut up." Jay caught it and winked at her.

Drew shook his head, "I'm nowhere near having sex."

Manny said, "Whatever you do, please make sure that the first person you do it with cares about you. My first time was with someone I wasn't even with, and, well, things didn't go well for me at all."

Drew looked at Manny and asked, "How old were you, Aunt Manny?"

"14."

"Wow, really?"

She nodded, "Yeah, I'm not exactly proud of it."

Drew grimaced and said, "I didn't mean to make you feel bad."

Manny smiled, "You didn't, sweetie. It's okay."

Drew asked, "How old were you, Jay?"

"I was 15."

Manny asked, "Did you lose it with Alex?"

"Yep."

Manny said, "She's with Paige now. They live in New York."

"Good for them. Seriously."

Drew asked, "So Alex is bi?"

Jay answered, "I think she's a lesbian. She didn't date any guys after me."

Drew nodded and smiled, "Thank you both."

"For what?"

"For answering my questions and for not treating me like a kid."

"You're welcome." Manny hugged him and looked at Jay, who smiled at her.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Sean's office, Emma was naked on his desk. Sean stood in front of her with his pants down around his ankles and his shirt wide open. Emma had her legs wrapped around Sean's waist, and she was holding onto his shoulders as he moved inside her.

He asked, "Are you okay?"

Emma nodded as Sean reached around, grabbed her ass, and pushed himself as far inside her as he could. She squealed and rested her forehead on his shoulder.

"Am I hurting you?"

Emma shook her head, "No, keep going." She lifted her head, pushed his shirt off his shoulders completely, and smiled, "Harder."

Sean did what Emma told him to do, but made sure not to hurt her. When Emma came, she yelled Sean's name and shook while digging her nails into his back. Sean slowed down for a moment as Emma came down from her orgasm. He knew she was feeling sensitive, so he waited before he started moving again.

Sean lasted a little longer this time, and Emma leaned back, giving Sean access to her body as he moved. He kissed her collarbone, then moved down her chest and kissed her breasts. After a while, Sean kissed his way back up to Emma's neck, and when it was time for him to come, Emma was ready for round two. He smiled and said, "Let's do it together."

Emma nodded, and within moments they were crying out in ecstasy together. They collapsed onto Sean's desk with Sean's head resting on Emma's bare chest. She was the first one to speak, "I'm so glad we stopped over here."

Sean laughed and gingerly lifted himself, "We're going to sleep well tonight." He slowly pulled out and sat back in his chair. "Jesus, that was so hot."

Emma sat up on his desk and looked around for her dress and her bra. "I can't believe I'm naked in your office." Sean handed her another shammy, and she said, "Thanks."

"We're definitely going to need a shower after this."

Emma wiped herself down and got dressed. Sean cleaned himself off and looked around for his jacket and shirt, which were on the floor. "Guess I'm not wearing this outfit to Drake's tomorrow."

Emma giggled, "Sorry."

"I'm not." Sean finished getting dressed and looked at his phone. "It's nearly 11:30."

"We've been here that long?" He nodded, and she said, "Well, we'll come up with a good excuse."

Sean joked as he looked down at his now crumpled shirt. "How will I explain this?"

Emma shrugged.

Right on cue, Sean got a text from Jay, "We're heading out. Drew felt like going to bed. I hope you had fun. I imagine you did since you're not home yet."

Sean said, "Jay and Manny are heading out, and Drew's heading to bed."

"Well, aren't we lucky." Emma looked around and asked, "Cleaning supplies?"

Sean walked over to a cabinet near his safe and grabbed some spray, "I'll do it." He cleaned off his desk and said, "There. Now it doesn't look like we had sex in here."

Emma smiled and watched as Sean put everything away. "Have I told you I love you today?"

"I'm sure you have, but you can say again. I never tire of hearing it."

Emma wrapped her arms around him and said, "I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

Drew sat on his bed, texting Oliver. He told Jay and Manny he wanted to go to sleep, but he just wanted to be alone to talk to Oliver.

Drew texted, "Can you call me, or will you get in trouble?"

Oliver texted back, "I'll call you. I think she's asleep."

"Okay."

As Drew waited for Oliver's call, he got comfortable in his bed. He answered right away when his phone went off, "Hey."

"Hey. How was your night?"

"It was okay. My aunt Manny and Jay were here while my parents were out."

"Were they babysitting you?"

Drew laughed, "No, they were hanging out playing video games, and then we watched some basketball. How was your night?"

"Boring. My parents watched a movie on Netflix, and I pretended to pay attention, but I couldn't even tell you what it was about."

"That bad, huh?"

"Yep."

"My parents were supposed to be back by 9:30-10, and they're still not home."

Oliver looked at his phone, then said, "It's nearly midnight. Are they okay?"

"Knowing them, they're having sex somewhere."

Oliver laughed.

"I'm not kidding. It's all they do these days." Drew heard the footsteps above his room. "Oh. They just walked in."

Oliver asked, "Do you have to go?"

"Nah, they don't need to know I'm up."

Oliver smiled, "Cool."

* * *

Sean opened the fridge and grabbed some water, "Want some?" Emma shook her head and smiled at him. He asked, "What?"

"Nothing. I'm just waiting for you to finish your water so we can go upstairs and shower together."

Sean laughed, "You are very horny tonight."

"Are you complaining?"

"God, no." He chugged the water, put the glass in the sink, and grabbed Emma's hand, "Let's go."

"Hold on." Emma took off her heels, and they jogged up the stairs to their room.

"Tonight's been a lot of fun." Sean took off Emma's dress, and she took off her bra and threw it across the room. Sean smiled at her and said, "I still can't believe we had sex in your car."

She pushed off Sean's jacket and unbuttoned his shirt, "Next time, we'll try it in your truck."

"Sounds good to me."

When Emma finished, she tossed Sean's shirt onto the floor. Next, she reached down and unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans. "You telling off Miriam was so hot."

"Yeah?"

Once Sean's jeans were off, Emma reached her hand into his underwear, "Yes."

Sean groaned and asked, "Emma, aren't we supposed to be showering?"

"Oh, we will. Eventually." Emma looked toward the chair in the lounge area just outside their bedroom and said, "Let's go to the chair."

Sean nodded and walked over.

"Take off your underwear, then sit down."

Sean did what Emma told him to do, then sat back on the chair. Emma straddled him and looked down at him. He said, "You're enjoying this position, huh?"

"Yes."

"Remember how timid you were the first time we were together at my apartment?"

Emma nodded, "You've brought this out of me, Cameron."

Sean smiled and said, "Lucky me."

* * *

Oliver had to hang up on Drew because he heard his mom walking down the hall. It disappointed Drew that the call ended so abruptly because he wasn't tired and didn't want to go to bed right away.

He walked out of his room and turned on the T.V. in the basement. It only took a few minutes until he heard noises upstairs, groaned, and put the couch pillow over his head, "Oh, God, why?"

* * *

Much later, Emma climbed into bed and cuddled against Sean, "I'm going to sleep well tonight."

Sean kissed her hair and said, "I don't want to go to work tomorrow."

"You can just picture me on your desk."

Sean laughed and said, "I'm not sure the guys at work would appreciate me walking around with an erection."

Emma giggled and kissed his chest. "Good point."

"We still have a lot ahead of us this weekend."

"I'm nervous about Sunday."

He stroked her hair, "It will be fine, I promise."

"Sean, I kept Drew away from his grandparents for 14 years."

"I've forgiven you, and we're together now. Look at me." Emma looked up at him, and Sean caressed her face, "That should be enough for them."

Emma said, "You are an incredibly kind person, and you shouldn't have forgiven me so soon."

"Emma, how many times do we have to go through this?"

She shook her head, "I'm sorry."

"I love you, and I love our son. And we are building a wonderful life together."

Emma smiled and said, "I love you."

Sean kissed her, pulled away, and yawned, "Okay, let's go to sleep."

Emma giggled and said, "Alright."

"Goodnight, Em."

"Goodnight."

* * *

Sean woke up the next morning and got ready for work without waking up Emma. Later in the morning, Emma sat up, grabbed her phone, and looked at the time. It was 9:30. She smiled and texted Sean. "I just woke up."

Sean felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, looked at it, and smiled, "I'm jealous."

Emma got up and stretched. She could hear the T.V. downstairs, and after she texted Sean back, she walked down the stairs. "Hey, kiddo."

"Hi." Drew looked at Emma and asked, "How was the party?"

"It was good. The building we went to is beautiful."

Drew nodded.

"Do you want some breakfast? I can make something."

"Sure."

Drew followed Emma into the kitchen and sat at the island. Emma asked, "How was your night with Jay and Manny?"

"Good. I beat Jay seven times in Super Smash Brothers, and he was not happy."

Emma giggled. "I'm sure he wasn't."

"It's the same game I always beat Oliver in too."

"Ah." Emma opened the fridge and asked, "Would you like a cheesy omelet?"

"Yes."

"Good, that's easy enough." Emma took out a few eggs, shredded cheese, and some vegetables.

Drew asked, "Mom, can I try some coffee?"

"Are you sure? Because once you drink it, you may become addicted."

Drew laughed, "I'll take my chances."

Emma set up the coffeemaker and waited for it to brew. "You want to try it plain first?"

Drew nodded.

"Okay." Emma poured some coffee into a mug for Drew and handed it to him. "There you go."

"Thanks." Drew sniffed it then took a sip.

"So, what do you think?"

"Not bad."

Drew took another sip, and Emma asked, "Do you want to make it sweeter?" Drew nodded, and Emma grabbed some creamer, "You can put this in it."

Drew put the French vanilla creamer into the mug, took another sip, and nodded his head, "Yeah, that's better."

"I feel like I'm contributing to your downfall."

Drew laughed and said, "Mom, it's not like you're giving me drugs."

"I know, but coffee feels like an adult thing."

"I have friends who drink coffee already. It's usually fancy coffee with lots of flavors."

"Ah, right, like Starbucks?"

Drew shook his head, "The Dot."

Emma smiled, "Oh, right."

"Maddie loves their vanilla latte."

Emma asked, "She's still staying over tonight, right?"

"Yep."

"Good." Emma walked over to the stove and worked on Drew's omelet.

* * *

Sean sat at his desk, looking at a work order when the shop's phone rang.

"Cameron's Custom Cars."

"Hi Sean, it's Jordan."

Sean sat back in his chair, "Hey, how are you?"

"Good, I'm sorry this is so last minute, but we have to reschedule. Drake had to fly out to the west coast. An unexpected problem came up."

"Oh, okay." The news disappointed Sean, but he understood.

Jordan said, "So he was wondering if you and your guys could come by his place on Thursday night? He has some people he wants you to meet, and he should be home from L.A. by Wednesday."

"Sure, that sounds great."

"Great. I'll call you on Thursday afternoon and let you know what time."

"Sounds good." Sean said, "I appreciate the call, Jordan."

"Again, sorry for the short notice."

Sean said, "Jordan, it's okay. I understand. Your boss is the biggest star in the world."

Jordan laughed and said, "Good point."

After Sean finished the phone call, he walked over to Jay, who was working on a motorcycle, "Bad news, bud. No party tonight."

"What happened?"

"Drake had to go to L.A. last minute."

Jay shook his head, "Manny's going to be so disappointed. She came to Toronto just for this party."

"Well, you, me, and Pete are going to Drake's house on Thursday to meet with some people."

"No, shit?"

Sean nodded, "All is not lost, my friend."

"Maybe this is better. Now I can spend time with my girl tonight." Sean smiled. "And you and Emma can continue to have sex all over the place."

Sean scoffed, "What are you talking about?"

"Your poor son is being tortured by you two." Sean blushed. "He heard you through his headphones." Jay lowered his voice, "What the hell are you two doing, man?"

"None of your business." Sean shook his head and walked back into his office. He picked up his phone and called Emma.

Emma smiled when she saw Sean's name pop up on her phone, "Hey, babe. How's your day going?"

"Well, I have good news and bad news."

"Okay."

"The bad news is Drake had to reschedule. He had to fly out to L.A., so no party tonight."

Emma pouted, "That stinks."

"Yes, but I'm going to his house on Thursday to meet with some people."

Emma smiled, "That's great, babe! That'll be even more business for you."

"Yep. And his assistant said that the next time there's a party, we can go."

"If you told me two months ago, we'd be invited to Drake's house. I would have said you were crazy."

"Em, we weren't even talking two months ago."

Emma laughed, "Good point." She stood up and said, "I guess I should tell Drew that we'll be home tonight."

"Well, I mean, we can go out anyway."

"Oh, yeah?"

Sean smiled, "Yeah, how about we go out on a date?"

"You mean like dinner and a movie?"

"Yes. I'd like to take you out on a proper date for a change."

Emma smiled and said, "I'd love that."

"Great. I'll set everything up."

Emma asked, "Will you be home on time today?"

Sean looked around and said, "Yep, it's not too crazy here today."

"Perfect. So I'll see you then."

"Okay, bye, babe."

Emma ended the call and walked down to Drew's room. She knocked on his door and called his name, "Drew?"

"Yeah, mom, come on in."

Emma opened the door and walked over to his bed, "Okay, Drake canceled the party tonight."

"So you'll be home?"

"Nope. Your dad and I are still going out. Dinner and a movie. So you and Maddie can hang out without us bothering you."

Drew smiled, "Thanks."

"You're welcome." She sat down and asked, "Is Oliver still grounded?"

Drew nodded.

"The Perino grade didn't help?"

Drew shook his head, "Nope."

"That's too bad."

Drew asked, "Were you going to invite him over tonight?"

Emma smiled, "I wouldn't mind if Oliver came over tonight."

"Really?"

Emma nodded.

"His mom is so unreasonable. I'm surprised he's still allowed to have his party next week."

Emma shook her head, "I'm sorry, kiddo."

Drew shrugged, "It's fine. I get too nervous around him, anyway."

Emma smiled, "I remember that feeling."

"Do you still feel that way about dad?"

"Not nervous, exactly, but I still get butterflies around him."

"Was it like that the first time you saw him again?"

Emma laughed, "Oh gosh, I was a mess that day. I'm surprised I didn't fall in front of him."

"And what about the first time you had sex again?"

"Andrew!"

"Mom, I hear you guys all the time."

Emma covered her face, "I'm so sorry."

"Aunt Manny and Jay explained everything to me. They said you and dad are still in your honeymoon phase."

She uncovered her face and raised an eyebrow, "Oh, really?"

Drew nodded then said, "And eventually the sex will die down."

Emma looked at him and said, "It probably will. It happens with everyone."

"So?"

Emma took a deep breath, "Yes. I was nervous."

"Was it okay?"

"Andrew..."

"Just say yes or no."

"Yes. Are you happy?"

Drew smiled, "It's just good to know that adults still feel nervous about sex."

"We do! It's natural for there to be nerves. And it happens with every new relationship you have. You don't always know how it's going to go. You worry about the first kiss because sometimes that's not good. And, I don't know this from experience because I haven't been with many people, but I've heard from friends who have had great connections with the people they were dating but that the sex was a disaster."

Drew's eyes widened, "A disaster?"

Emma nodded, "Sometimes the chemistry just isn't there."

They chatted for a few more moments, and Emma smiled as Drew absorbed everything she said.

Drew looked at her and said, "Thank you for being so open with me about this, mom."

"You're welcome."

"They don't teach us this stuff in school."

Emma patted his knee and stood up. "So we will leave you and Maddie money for food tonight. You can order whatever you want."

"Cool, thanks!"

"You're welcome, kiddo."


	55. Chapter 55

When Sean got home from work, he walked in through the front door and saw Maddie sitting on the couch with Drew. They were watching basketball on TV and eating popcorn. Sean smiled and said, "Hey, kiddo! Hey Maddie, good to see you."

Drew didn't take his eyes off the T.V., "Hi, dad."

Maddie blushed and said, "Hi, Mr. Cameron."

Emma called down the stairs, "Hey, babe!"

Sean said, "Hey!" He took off his jacket and walked over to Drew and Maddie.

Drew asked, "How was work?"

Sean sat down on the loveseat, "It was good. I got a lot done." He looked at the T.V. and said, "Oh nice, they're winning."

Drew looked at Sean and asked, "So you and mom are definitely going out tonight, right?"

Sean raised an eyebrow and asked, "Yes, why?"

Drew shrugged, "Just making sure."

"Are you planning on throwing a party?"

Drew laughed, "No."

Sean smiled, "We're going out to dinner, and we're probably going to walk around downtown for a little while. Luckily it's supposed to be nice tonight."

Emma walked down the stairs and over to Sean, "Hello."

"Hi."

She sat next to him, and they kissed hello, "How was your day?"

"I feel good. I got a lot done, so when I go in on Monday, I won't have anything pressing waiting for me."

"That's always a good thing." She asked, "So have you decided what we're doing and where we're going tonight?"

"Well, I was just telling Maddie and Drew that we'd go downtown, grab some dinner, maybe walk around? It's supposed to be a nice night."

Emma smiled, "That sounds perfect."

"Good." Sean looked at Drew, "We'll leave you enough money for food. No booze, though."

Emma asked, "Booze? What are you talking about?"

"I was just joking with Drew about him throwing a party while we're out."

Emma turned to Drew and said, "You wouldn't."

"Of course not, mom!"

Sean joked, "I feel like that's something you should wait to do until you're at least 16."

Emma cringed, "That one party I threw turned into a disaster."

Sean shook his head, "Yeah, that wasn't a good night. But I thought Manny was the one behind it."

"Well, yeah, she talked me into it."

Drew asked, "What happened?"

Sean cleared his throat and answered, "A friend of ours was stabbed and killed right outside grandma and grandpa's house." Drew and Maddie both gasped. "Yeah, that was not a great time for Degrassi."

Maddie asked, "Who killed him?"

Emma said, "A kid from a rival school."

Drew said, "So you had the shooting when you were in Grade 10, and then someone was stabbed in Grade 12?" Sean and Emma nodded, then Drew continued, "No offense, but I'm glad we go to Degrassi now and not back then."

Sean said, "It does seem like it was awful, huh?"

Drew nodded.

Emma said, "It wasn't, really. Outside of those two moments, it was good."

Sean furrowed his brow and said, "Well, for you."

Emma wrapped her arm around him, "Ugh, let's stop bringing this stuff up."

Drew asked, "Wait, what now?"

Sean shook his head and pulled away from Emma, "Nope, no more depressing talk." He stood up and stretched, "Let's leave the kids alone."

"Oh no, you guys aren't going to go—"

Sean stopped Drew and said, "No. We're just going upstairs to hang out, we'll make our plans for the night and decompress a little bit before we have to get ready." He held out his hand. Emma grabbed it and stood up with him, "We'll see you later."

Drew said, "Okay. But if you change your minds, please close your door." Sean and Emma laughed as they walked up the stairs, and Drew said to Maddie, "They're definitely going to do it."

Maddie looked at the stairs and asked, "How do you know?"

"I just know."

"Maybe they won't."

Drew scoffed.

Once they got upstairs, Sean took off his work boots, sat back on the bed, and leaned against the headboard, "That poor boy is traumatized."

Emma said, "He was asking me questions about us and sex."

Sean said, "Oh yeah?"

Emma nodded and curled up against him, "Yep. He's very curious about the emotional part of sex, not necessarily the physical part."

"And what did you tell him?"

"Well, he asked me if I was nervous about being with you again after so many years."

Sean smiled and asked, "What did you say?"

"I told him I was and that it's natural to be nervous no matter how many times you've had sex."

"How nervous were you that night at my apartment?"

"Oh, God." Emma sat up and smiled, "I told you that it had been a long time, but I felt like a virgin again, honestly. I suppose it was fitting that my first time in a long time was with you."

Sean smiled, leaned forward, and kissed her, "As I've said, I wasn't planning on having sex with you that night, but you looked so good, and I had to have you."

Emma blushed.

"I do feel bad about traumatizing our son. Apparently, he talked to Manny and Jay about it."

Emma nodded, "Yep. They told him we are in the honeymoon phase."

"Oh?"

Emma laughed, "I can't help how attracted I am to you, Cameron. The sex is so good."

"Okay, calm down. I don't want to get all hot and bothered with the kids right downstairs."

"Oh, alright." Emma rested her head on his chest and asked, "So where are we going for dinner?"

"It's a surprise."

"Oh yeah? Do I have to dress nice?"

"Yes, but not too formal."

Emma laughed, "I hope not."

* * *

A few hours later, after Sean and Emma got ready to go out and Drew and Maddie watched the Raptors lose on a last-second layup, Sean called down the stairs, "Okay, kiddo. We're heading out."

Sean and Emma walked down the stairs and into the living room. Maddie looked at Sean first, then at Emma and said, "Wow, you look really nice. Both of you look really nice."

Drew shook his head. Emma smiled and said, "Thank you, Maddie."

Emma was in a cream and floral printed wrap dress that hit just above her knees. She wore cream-colored flats, carried a small, leather, rose-colored clutch that matched the florals on her dress, and her hair was curled with loose beachy waves. Sean had on his new suit jacket, a gray shirt without a collar, and dark jeans with dress shoes.

Sean opened his wallet, took out a few bills, and handed them to Drew, "Now remember no ordering booze."

Drew laughed, "Okay. Thanks, dad."

"You're welcome."

Emma grabbed her phone and said, "Now, if there are any problems, call us."

"I will."

Sean looked at Drew, "And if you can't get us, call grandma and grandpa."

Drew rolled his eyes and said, "Okay."

Sean chuckled, "It's really like looking in a mirror most days."

Emma smiled, "Have a good time tonight. We shouldn't be too late." She looked at Sean and asked, "Right?"

Sean nodded, "Right."

They walked to the front door, and Sean let Emma walk out first. Sean looked at Drew and Maddie and said, "Have fun."

"Thanks, dad." When Sean walked out, and the door closed, Drew said, "Finally!"

Maddie giggled.

"So, what do you want to eat?"

"I'm up for anything, really."

"By the way, nice save."

Maddie asked, "What do you mean?"

"Oh, please, you were practically drooling over my dad."

"I was not!"

Drew laughed, "Yes, you were."

Maddie rolled her eyes.

* * *

As Sean was driving downtown, Emma said, "I think the crush Maddie has on you is adorable."

"I feel bad for the girl. She's constantly blushing around me."

"Well, who can blame her?"

"Oh, please."

Emma smiled and said, "You're the hot dad."

Sean laughed, "The what?"

"You're the hot dad. You're the dad all the girls have crushes on."

Sean chuckled and asked, "Is that so?" Emma nodded then he asked, "Who were the hot dads when we were in Degrassi?"

"Hmm, I'd have to think about that." After a few moments, Emma said, "Ashley Kerwin's dad was pretty cute. I saw him at Degrassi a couple of times."

"Oh yeah?"

Emma giggled, "Come to think of it. I think I missed out while I was at Degrassi. I mean, no offense to Manny's dad, but he wasn't hot. Or tall."

"I'm not tall, either."

"But you're hot."

Sean laughed again and said, "Okay, this discussion is making me uncomfortable."

Emma looked out the window where Sean was turning into a parking garage and asked, "So where are we going?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

"Oh, boo."

Sean pulled into the garage, grabbed the ticket, and found a space. When he parked, he turned to Emma, "Ready?"

"Yep."

A few minutes later, Emma was beaming when she realized where they were going. "I've heard great things about this place."

Sean said, "Me too. I've always wanted to try it." He lifted her hand and kissed it, "Plus, you were expecting to be at Drake's house tonight, so I wanted to take you somewhere special."

Emma leaned her head on Sean's shoulder as the elevator made its way up to the 54th Floor of the TD Bank Tower. They were going to a restaurant called Canoe. It was well-known throughout Toronto for being an excellent place for a meal and a view of the sunset. And Sean made sure they got there just in time to see the sun go down.

They walked up to the hostess who smiled and asked, "Do you have a reservation?"

Sean said, "Yes. Cameron."

The hostess looked, nodded, and said, "Okay, Mr. Cameron, we have you booked for two. Just give me one moment, and I will seat you."

"Take your time."

Emma looked around, squeezed Sean's hand, and whispered, "I love you."

Sean smiled and whispered back, "I love you too."

The hostess said, "Follow me, please."

As Sean and Emma made their way through the restaurant, Sean looked around at all the other couples who were there and wondered if they were all as happy as he was at that moment. When Emma sat down, Sean sat in the chair across from her at first.

"Why are you so far away?"

Sean laughed and moved to the seat next to her, "Is this better?"

Emma leaned forward and nodded, "Yes." She smiled, then looked out toward the lake and nodded, "It's beautiful up here."

Sean looked at her and said, "I have a better view."

Emma looked at him and laughed, "Oh yeah?"

Sean nodded, "I'm so happy right now, Em."

Emma smiled and held his hand.

"And I love you so much."

Emma's heart skipped a beat because she thought Sean was going to propose right then. Instead, a waiter approached the table.

"Hello, and welcome to Canoe. I'm Nick, and I'll be your server tonight. Would you like something to drink to start?"

Sean said, "Can you bring us a bottle of your best champagne?"

"Of course. Be right back."

Emma asked, "Sean, are you sure you want to spend so much money tonight?"

"Yes. I'm sure." He looked at her and said, "You're worth it."

* * *

Drew and Maddie were down in his room, and he asked, "So should we just get a pizza?"

Maddie shrugged. "I'll eat anything."

He looked at the menu on his screen and said, "How about we get a pizza with extra cheese, garlic knots, and mozzarella sticks? We have enough for money for it."

Maddie smiled and said, "Ooh, okay."

"Great," Drew ordered everything through Grubhub on his computer. "It'll be here in 40 minutes."

She asked, "Do you hate talking on the phone as much I do?"

"Ugh, yes. Especially with people I don't know. I'm so glad we can order everything online and avoid it."

"So, do you and Oliver talk on the phone?"

Drew smiled, "When his mom is asleep."

Maddie shook her head, "I can't believe she's so close-minded."

"I'm just glad my parents aren't."

"Your parents are definitely the coolest out of all of our parents."

"It's probably because they were young when they had me."

Maddie nodded and asked, "So when are your parents getting married?"

"Oh!" Drew opened his bottom drawer, reached inside, and grabbed the box with Emma's ring. "Here's the ring. It was finished earlier than expected." He opened it and showed it to Maddie, who gasped.

"Oh my God, it's beautiful. Your mom is going to love that." She inspected it, "Wow. She's so lucky."

Drew nodded, closed the box, and put it away, "I have to guard that with my life."

"So, did your dad get everything set up yet?"

"I'm not sure. This has been a busy weekend, and it's going to be even busier tomorrow."

"Why's that?"

"I'm meeting my other grandparents for the first time."

"Oh, wow. Where do they live?"

"They're up in Wasaga Beach. I'm also meeting my dad's older brother for the first time."

Maddie asked, "Are you nervous?"

Drew shook his head, "Not really, but I think my mom is."

Maddie nodded. "Because she kept you from your dad so long?"

Drew nodded, "Yeah."

"But he forgave her, so they probably will too."

Drew shrugged, "I don't think my dad is that close to his family. At least it doesn't seem like it to me. I guess I'll find out tomorrow."

* * *

Sean looked at Emma, who was eating her dinner and nodding with her eyes closed. "So, I am assuming you're enjoying your meal?"

Emma giggled and covered her mouth, "Yes. It's excellent."

"Good."

She asked, "How's your dinner?"

"Also, excellent."

Emma took a sip of her champagne and looked at Sean, "Thank you for tonight."

"You're welcome." He grabbed her hand and squeezed, "We should have done something like this sooner."

"I think it's perfect timing."

Sean smiled and said, "Would you want to order dessert?"

"Sure."

"Okay, then we can head downstairs and walk around by the water."

"Sounds sublime."

Sean winked and took a sip of his champagne. When he put his glass down, he said, "This stuff is worth every penny."

Emma laughed, "It is excellent champagne. It's the best I've ever had."

"It's so smooth."

"A little too smooth." She set down her glass and said, "I need to start drinking water."

"You can sober up on our walk by the water."

"It's a good thing I didn't wear heels tonight."

Sean chuckled and picked up his phone, "No messages from the kid, so that's a good sign."

Emma nodded, "I'm sure he's fine."

"I'm sure he is too."

* * *

"Oh my God, I ate too much." Drew laughed as Maddie unbuttoned her jeans and sat back on the couch in the basement. "Why did I do this?"

"Because the food was good."

"It really was."

Drew asked, "So, what do you want to do now?"

"Nap?"

Drew shook his head, "Let's watch a movie."

"Okay."

As Drew was turning on Netflix, the doorbell rang.

Maddie asked, "Are you expecting anyone?"

"No." Drew stood up and walked to the basement stairs, "I'll be right back."

"Maybe I should come with you."

"You can if you want."

Maddie stood up and followed Drew up the stairs to the front door. When Drew opened the door, Oliver was standing there with a tear-stained face, holding two bags.

Drew looked at him and asked, "What happened? Are you okay?"

Oliver shook his head, "Can I come in?"

"Yeah." Drew let Oliver in and closed the front door. "Why do you have those bags?"

"My mom and I got into a fight. She figured everything out. So I ran away."

Maddie asked, "How did you get here?"

"A cab. I had some money."

Maddie reached out, and Oliver handed her one of the bags. "I'll take that for you."

Oliver looked at Drew and said, "I hope it's okay that I'm here. I didn't know where else to go."

Drew smiled and said, "Of course, it's okay."

Maddie asked, "Did you eat? We have some stuff downstairs."

Drew said, "Yeah, there's a slice of pizza left and a couple of garlic knots."

Oliver smiled and said, "Thanks."

Maddie said, "Come with me."

"Okay."

"I'll be right down." Drew watched as Maddie and Oliver walked down to the basement. He grabbed his phone and called his dad.

As Sean and Emma were walking hand-in-hand by Lake Ontario, Sean felt his phone vibrate. "Uh, oh. I think we spoke too soon." He reached into his pocket, took out his phone, and saw it was Drew calling. "It's Drew."

Emma looked at him and said, "Put it on speaker."

Sean answered and said, "Hey, kiddo, is everything okay?"

"Uh, yeah, everything's fine with me, but I wanted you to know that Oliver's here. He got into a fight with his mom and ran away from home."

Sean and Emma shared a look, then Sean said, "Do you need us to come home?"

"No, no, don't do that. I don't want to ruin your night."

Emma said, "Sweetie, you wouldn't be ruining our night. We want to make sure Oliver is okay."

"Can he stay here tonight?"

Sean said, "Of course he can. That's not a problem."

Emma looked at Sean and said, "We'll be home soon, okay?"

"Okay. I'm sorry."

"Kiddo, don't be sorry."

Drew put his hand to his temple and asked, "Did you have a nice dinner, at least?"

Sean said, "We did."

"Good."

Emma said, "Go be with Oliver, and we'll be there soon."

"Yeah, okay. Bye."

"Bye." Sean ended the call and looked at Emma, "That poor kid."

Emma shook her head, "I was afraid something like this would happen."

Sean put his phone in his pocket and said, "Well, let's head back to the car."

"One second."

"Oh?"

Emma nodded and kissed him. When she pulled away, she said, "Thank you for the wonderful dinner."

"You're welcome."

* * *

Oliver sat on the couch in the basement, eating his food while Maddie and Drew watched. When he noticed how they were looking at him, he asked, "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Drew said, "We just want to make sure you're okay."

"I'm better now that I am out of that house."

Maddie asked, "So what happened, exactly?"

"Something came on the TV. A gay couple was on HGTV, and she started bashing them, saying how disgusting they were, and I couldn't take it anymore."

Drew asked, "Did you come out to her?"

"Not exactly, but she figured it out."

"And then you ran away?"

Oliver nodded.

"Well, you can stay here."

"Thanks."

Maddie said, "Maybe I should go home."

Both Drew and Oliver said, "No, don't!" and Maddie laughed at them.

"Fine, I'll stay."

Drew stood up and asked, "How about some ice cream?"

Maddie shook her head, "Not yet. I'm still full."

Drew smiled then looked at Oliver, who was still eating his dinner.

Sean and Emma walked into the house and called out Drew's name.

"Down here, mom!"

Oliver looked at him, "You called your parents?"

Drew nodded.

Sean and Emma walked down the stairs and Oliver apologized profusely, "I'm so sorry if I ruined your night, Miss Nelson and Mr. Cameron."

Sean said, "You didn't ruin anything."

Emma walked over to Oliver and sat next to him, "Are you okay?"

Oliver nodded, "I'm a little better, but I can't go back there tonight."

Sean said, "You can stay here as long as you need to."

"Are you sure?"

Emma smiled at Oliver, rubbed his back, and said, "Yes, we're sure."

Tears filled Oliver's eyes and he said, "Thank you."

Sean said, "Although we'll have to tell your mom you're here so she doesn't call the police."

Oliver nodded.

Emma said, "I can call her in a little bit."

"Thanks again."

"You're welcome, kiddo." Sean winked at Drew who smiled at his dad.


	56. Chapter 56

Sean and Emma were in the basement with the kids, and Emma looked around and said, "We're going to change out of our dressy clothes and get comfortable." She stood up and asked, "How about some ice cream?"

Drew smiled and said, "Maddie's too stuffed from dinner."

"We ate a lot, Drew!"

Sean looked at the remnants and laughed, "What did you get?"

"Pizza, garlic knots, and mozzarella sticks."

He nodded, "Nice. I'd be full too."

Drew asked, "How was your dinner? Where did you go?"

Emma answered, "We went to a place called Canoe."

Oliver, who was still eating, asked, "Canoe?"

Sean laughed and said, "Yes, the name is odd, but it's a pretty fancy place. It's on the 54th floor of the TD Bank Tower downtown."

Emma said, "We watched the sunset."

Maddie said, "That must have been so pretty."

Emma smiled, "It was."

Sean said, "I still say my view was better."

Emma playfully slapped his arm, "Oh, stop." She walked to the stairs and said, "So we'll do ice cream later, then?" All three kids nodded, then Emma asked, "Do you need anything while we're up there?" All three kids shook their heads, and Emma chuckled, "Okay. How about you all come upstairs? We can hang out up there for a while. We'll watch a movie or something."

Drew nodded, "We'll be up there in a little bit, mom."

Sean said, "Sounds good." He let Emma walk up the stairs ahead of him. When they got to the ground floor, Sean closed the basement door and said, "That poor kid."

Emma shook her head, "I'm so angry at his mom right now. How can she do that to her child?"

Sean shrugged, "I have no idea."

"I don't understand it at all. You are supposed to love and protect your child at all costs, no matter what." Sean smiled at her, and she asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because you're an incredible mom."

Emma shrugged, "I don't know about incredible."

"You are." Sean wrapped his arms around her, "I'm in awe of you every day."

"Really?"

He nodded, "Yes."

Emma smiled and leaned her forehead against his, "You're pretty incredible yourself."

Sean said, "It's like you said, you're supposed to love and protect your child no matter what. I felt like that as soon as I found out about Drew." Emma kissed him, and Sean laughed into the kiss. When he pulled away, he asked, "What was that for?"

"It's because you're you."

Sean smiled and said, "Let's go upstairs, change, and come back down and have some ice cream with the kids."

"Okay."

* * *

Oliver finally finished his dinner and looked at Drew, "I know I say this all the time, but I really wish your parents were my parents." Drew smiled. "Seriously. They're so cool."

Drew began picking up the food boxes and said, "Maddie said it earlier, but it's probably because they're younger compared to other parents."

Oliver shrugged, "I don't know. Some younger parents can be assholes too."

Maddie laughed.

He stood up and said, "It's true."

Drew looked around and said, "I wonder where my parents are going to have you sleep."

Maddie asked, "Why can't he sleep in here?"

Oliver asked, "Where are you sleeping?"

"Upstairs in the guest room. All my stuff is already in there." Maddie smiled and said, "Plus, you can sneak into Drew's room from here." Both boys blushed. "Oh, come on, I'm kidding."

Drew rolled his eyes and mumbled, "Whatever."

* * *

As Emma got undressed, Sean sat on the bed and watched her. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Yes." She giggled and threw her dress at him. Sean said, "I had a nice time tonight."

"So did I." She put on a sweatshirt and leggings and sat next to Sean on the bed, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He kissed her, pulled away, and sighed, "I really feel bad for Oliver."

Emma nodded, "I know."

"Should we bring him to Wasaga with us tomorrow?"

"Oh gosh, I forgot about that." Emma thought about it for a second and said, "Maybe we should. Drew won't want to hang out with a bunch of old people alone all day."

Sean chuckled, "You're probably right."

"We need to call his mom soon."

Sean nodded and asked, "Do you want to do it, or do you want me to do it?"

Emma looked surprised and asked, "You would do that?"

Sean scoffed, "Of course I would. You already said how angry you are at her, and I wouldn't want you to say anything you might regret."

Emma asked, "Aren't you angry at her too?"

Sean nodded, "Yes, I am, but I've never dealt with her before, and I think I can control my anger."

Emma raised an eyebrow, "You don't think I can?"

He shook his head, "Not right now. You're in momma bear mode."

Emma smiled, "You're right."

Sean stood up, "I'll change, and we'll go downstairs, and I'll call her."

* * *

Oliver looked at Sean and said, "Thank you for doing this, Mr. Cameron."

"You're welcome." He dialed Oliver's home number and waited for the phone to ring.

"Hello?"

Sean said, "Hi, Mrs. Middleton?"

"Yes?"

"Hi, this is Sean Cameron. I'm Andrew Nelson's dad."

She didn't even say hi back. She asked, "Is Oliver with you?"

"Yes, he is."

"Can he stay there with you?"

Sean furrowed his brow, turned away from everyone, and lowered his voice, "Yes, we don't have a problem with that at all, but why wouldn't you want him to come home?"

"Oliver can come home when he changes his mind about being gay."

Sean put his hand to his temple and said, "Mrs. Middleton, with all due respect, that's not how it works."

"Oh, so you're one of those people who think homosexuality is okay?"

"Yes. I do. I also believe it's not a choice, I believe our children are born that way, and I believe that we should love our children no matter what."

"I see. Well, my son can stay with you and your faggot son if he wants, but he's not welcome here anymore." She hung up before Sean could respond.

"Mrs. Middleton? Hello?" Sean ended the call, put his phone in his pocket, turned around, and looked at Oliver, "You're staying here with us for the foreseeable future." Oliver nodded. "I wouldn't make you go back to that house, anyway."

Oliver asked, "What about all my stuff?"

Emma said, "Maybe we can get my dad involved." She looked at Oliver, "You'll need your laptop for school, right?" He nodded. Emma put her hand on Oliver's shoulder, 'We'll figure something out."

Oliver cried, and Emma held him. "It'll be okay, sweetie. I promise."

"Thank you."

Sean put his arm around Drew, and Maddie looked around and said, "I should go home."

Drew said, "No, Maddie, stay."

Oliver pulled away from Emma and said, "Yeah, I don't want you to go."

Maddie smiled, and Sean squeezed Drew's shoulder then said, "Okay, I think it's time for ice cream."

Emma agreed, "Yes." She rubbed Oliver's back and said, "It's definitely time for ice cream."

* * *

A little while later, Sean and Emma were together on the loveseat while Drew, Maddie, and Oliver were on the couch. They were watching a movie that Sean was half paying attention to, and every once in a while, Sean would look over at Oliver to make sure he was okay. He couldn't believe how cruel Oliver's mom was on the phone, and he was glad Oliver came to them.

Emma could tell Sean wasn't into the movie and whispered, "Are you okay?"

He whispered back, "I'll be right back." Sean stood up, made his way through the kitchen, and walked to the house's back door. He stepped outside, closed the door, and took a deep breath. Sean walked over to the deck's back railing, leaned against it, and cried. He kept replaying the conversation with Oliver's mom in his head, and he couldn't believe how cruel she was.

Back inside, Drew asked Emma, "Mom, is dad okay?"

Emma turned and looked toward the back door, "I'll go check on him. You kids keep watching the movie." Emma stood up and walked to the back door. She could see through the window that Sean was crying. She opened the door, closed it, and said, "Babe?" She walked up to him and put her arm on his shoulder, "Are you okay?"

Sean wiped his face, "Em, that woman was so cruel. I couldn't believe it."

"What did she say?"

He shook his head, "I can't even repeat it. It was despicable, and it wasn't just about Oliver."

Emma asked, "Did she say something about Drew?"

Sean nodded. Then he took a deep breath and said, "I want Oliver to stay here for as long as possible."

Emma hugged him, "He will. We will take care of him."

Sean cried again, and Emma held him.

Oliver sat up and said, "I hope I didn't upset your dad."

Drew said, "I'm sure you didn't do anything."

Oliver shook his head, "I still feel bad."

"Well, don't." He put his hand on Oliver's and said, "Okay?"

Oliver nodded.

Maddie said, "Is anyone actually paying attention to this movie?"

Drew said, "Nope." He turned off the movie and said, "Maybe we can find something on Netflix."

Back out on the deck, Sean shook his head and looked into the house, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lose it."

Emma caressed his face, "This just shows how much you care."

Sean nodded.

"I love you."

"I love you too." He kissed her and pulled away, "Let's go back inside."

When Sean and Emma made their way back inside, Oliver looked at Sean and said, "I hope I didn't upset you, Mr. Cameron."

Sean smiled, "You didn't."

Drew said, "We turned off the movie. No one was paying attention, anyway."

Sean nodded.

Emma said, "Maddie, you're all set up in the guest room upstairs, right?"

"Yes."

"Good." Emma looked at Oliver, "Oliver, will you be okay on the couch downstairs?"

"Um, yeah. That'll be great."

She asked, "How about I go, set it up for you?"

He shook his head, "You don't have to do that, Miss Nelson. You can just give me the stuff, and I'll do it."

"I insist."

Oliver smiled and said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Emma winked at Drew and walked to the stairs, "Oh, are you allergic to anything?"

Oliver shook his head, "Nope."

"Great!" Emma climbed the stairs, and Sean sat back down on the loveseat.

Sean asked, "So, did you find anything on Netflix?"

Drew shook his head, "Not really."

Sean laughed, "There's gotta be something we all can watch." He looked at Drew and said, "Unless it's not that cool watching a movie with your parents on a Saturday night."

Drew scoffed, "You're not like regular parents."

Maddie added, "Yeah, you're cool parents."

Oliver said, "You're definitely cooler than mine."

Sean smiled.

* * *

After the movie, the kids all retreated downstairs. They were going to play video games. Sean and Emma told them they could stay up until 2 a.m. Meanwhile, they went up to their room to decompress.

"So, what did Mrs. Middleton say?"

Sean shook his head, "I can't say it. I'll just get angry." He took a deep breath and said, "Think of the most derogatory word someone can use about a gay person. That's what she called our son."

Emma's eyes widened, "That bitch."

Sean nodded his head. "Yep."

"She really said that?"

"Emma, I couldn't believe it. She was so cold and unfeeling, and it was disgusting." Tears formed in Sean's eyes again, and he shook them away, "I can't talk about it anymore."

"I'm sorry. We'll stop."

Sean wiped his face and said, "So I figure we can leave for Wasaga around 11 if the kids are up and ready by then."

"Sounds good."

"I also want to stop off and pick up some things like flowers for my mom and dessert or something."

Emma nodded, "Okay."

Sean looked at her and asked, "You're not still nervous, are you?"

"Yes, I am, and I will probably be a wreck the entire drive up."

"Babe, it'll be okay."

Emma smiled, "You really believe that, don't you."

"I already talked to my parents about this. They know how I feel about everything, and that's the most important thing, Em. I love you, I forgave you, and we're going to build a wonderful life together."

She nodded and smiled, "I know I've told you this about a hundred times tonight, but I love you."

"I love you."

"I'm so glad we're here."

Sean smiled, "Me too."

* * *

Later that night, as Maddie lay awake in the guest room bed, she heard noises. At first, she wasn't sure what she was listening to and then realized it was Sean and Emma. Maddie sat up and listened as Emma moaned, and she covered her mouth. She was both amused and curious. Maddie got out of the bed, walked over to the stairs, and sat down.

Meanwhile, upstairs as they made love, Sean whispered, "Em, Maddie's right downstairs. You gotta try to keep quiet."

"Oh, God, I forgot." She groaned again, "But this feels so good."

Sean chuckled and slowed down, "Let's make it a game."

"No noise?"

Sean nodded, "If you make a noise, you lose."

"What do I get when I win?"

Sean smiled, "Oh, you think you're going to win?"

Emma nodded, "I know I'm going to win."

"Yeah, we'll see about that."

A little while later, Emma was resting her head on Sean's chest. He stroked her hair and asked, "So how does it feel to lose?"

Emma laughed and looked up at him, "You cheated."

"I did not."

"Yes, you did. There was no way I couldn't make noise when you did what you did to me." She pinched him, and Sean yelped, "You fight dirty, Cameron."

"Ow! That hurt." Sean reached down and started tickling Emma.

"No! Don't do that!" Emma started laughing and squealing.

Sean said, "Shhh. We have to be quiet!"

"I can't be quiet when you're doing that to me."

Sean stopped and smiled at her. "We should go to bed. I want to go out and get some things for breakfast tomorrow."

"Oh, yeah?"

He nodded, "Things are going to be strange for Oliver, and I want him to feel loved and cared for."

Emma got up and straddled Sean, "We're not going to bed yet."

Sean chuckled, "Em."

She shook her head, "Nope." She leaned down and kissed him.

* * *

Drew lay awake in his bed, and Oliver quietly knocked on his door. "Come in."

Oliver opened the door, "Can I sleep in here? I'll stay on the floor."

Drew said, "Uh, sure. Is something wrong with the couch?"

"No, I just didn't want to be alone."

Drew smiled and said, "Okay. But are you sure you want to sleep on the floor?"

"Yeah." He threw his blanket down and put his pillow on top of it. "It's fine. I don't want to freak out your parents by sleeping in your bed with you." Oliver got onto the floor, "Especially when they're helping me out like this."

"Good point." Drew laid down on the edge of his bed and looked down at Oliver, "My parents will probably set up the guest room for you when Maddie leaves."

"That's fine. Your guest room is way better than being on the streets."

"Yeah." Drew reached his hand down, and Oliver grabbed it, "We'll help you through this."

"Thank you."

Oliver and Drew talked until they fell asleep, and they didn't let go of each other's hand.

* * *

The next morning, Sean woke up early, took a shower, and got dressed all before Emma woke up. He wanted to head out and get breakfast. Emma stretched and smiled as she watched him zip up his jeans. "Good morning."

"Good morning, beautiful."

"You showered already?"

"Yep." He sat down on the bed and said, "I'm heading out to pick up things for breakfast. Can you think of anything you need or want?"

Emma sat up, "Pancake batter. I want to make them for the kids."

"Okay. I'll pick up some fruit and yogurt and donuts, croissants..." He smiled and kissed her nose. "It'll be like a nice brunch for them."

"Oh, and can you get some coffee?"

"Yep." Sean stood up and grabbed his phone off the nightstand. "I shouldn't be too long."

"Okay. I'll probably shower while you're out."

Sean walked to the stairs and said, "Tease."

Emma giggled, and he made his way down the stairs. When Sean looked into the guest room, Maddie was sitting on the bed, fully dressed, and reading a book. "Maddie? Did you sleep?"

"Not really. I'm an insomniac. It's how I read so many books."

"Oh." Sean was about to walk out when he asked, "Would you like to tag along with me while I pick up some breakfast? I could use an extra set of hands."

Maddie's heart stopped for a second, and she said, "Sure!"

"Great, meet me downstairs when you're ready."

"Okay!"

* * *

Maddie was quiet during the ride to the market. She looked out the window and avoided looking at Sean. Sean could tell she was embarrassed, so he tried to break the ice.

"So Maddie, what book are you reading?"

"I'm rereading the Hunger Games trilogy." Sean nodded then Maddie asked, "Have you read them?" She immediately grimaced, knowing what Sean's answer would be.

He smiled and said, "No, but I caught one of the movies on TV once. It was pretty cool."

"It is!" Maddie described the plot for all three books, and when she finished, she was embarrassed again.

Sean asked, "So, you like reading for fun, huh?"

"Yes."

"That's good. I didn't enjoy reading all that much. I was too into cars to care."

Maddie smiled and asked, "How long have you had your shop?"

"A few years now. I had been dreaming about opening it since I was 18."

"Wow."

Sean laughed, "Yeah, I know, that's a _long_ time ago." He pulled into the parking lot of the market and parked his truck, "So I figured I'd get some brunch stuff, and Emma wants to cook you all pancakes."

Maddie smiled, "Cool."

"Yeah, well, after the night Oliver had, we wanted to make things nice for him today." When they got out of the truck, Sean asked, "Have you met Oliver's mom?"

Maddie nodded, "She seemed like your typical, uptight mom. I didn't realize she was a bigot."

Sean shook his head, "That poor kid. She must have been saying nasty things all the time, and he had to hide who he really is from her."

"She didn't seem to like me. I think maybe she thought I was a lesbian because I hung out with the guys all the time."

"That's ridiculous. I had girl friends in high school who didn't like hanging out with other gi-" Sean stopped himself.

Maddie asked, "What?"

"The one person I was thinking of is a lesbian now."

Maddie started laughing, "I'm not. I like boys."

"You liked Drew, right?"

She blushed and said, "What an idiot I was, huh?"

"Nah. Not at all."

Maddie shrugged, "I'm glad Drew came to me to tell me he liked Oliver. I realized how silly my crush was on him, and we're definitely better off as friends."

"Drew is fortunate to have you as a friend, Maddie."

Maddie's crush on Sean grew even bigger as soon as he said that. "Thank you, Mr. Cameron."

Sean scoffed, "My dad is Mr. Cameron. You can call me Sean."

Maddie shook her head, "I don't think I can."

Sean smiled, "That's fine. But just know that you can. I know some parents can be touchy about that sort of thing."

Maddie smiled and said, "Thanks."


	57. Chapter 57

Emma walked down to the basement and noticed Oliver wasn't on the couch. She wasn't feeling anxious about that. She figured Oliver went into Drew's room to say, "Good morning." She walked toward Drew's room and knocked quietly on his door. When he didn't answer, Emma opened the door, peeked in, and noticed Oliver on the floor holding Drew's hand. Drew was practically hanging off the bed to hold onto Oliver's hand, and Emma put her hand to her heart. She looked at them for a few seconds, then decided to give them privacy. She softly closed Drew's door and went back upstairs.

A few moments later, Drew opened his eyes and looked down at Oliver, who was still asleep. He smiled at the sight of Oliver sleeping, and he watched him for a few minutes. He slowly pulled his hand away because he had to go to the bathroom, and Oliver stirred.

"Hey."

Oliver squinted and smiled, "Hi."

"How did you sleep?"

"Better than I would have on the couch."

Drew smiled and sat up. He stretched and said, "I'm supposed to meet my other grandparents today."

"Oh yeah?"

Drew nodded, "And my uncle. He's a lot older than my dad, and he has three daughters."

"So, you have three new cousins?"

"Yep."

Oliver said, "This is a good thing, right?"

Drew shrugged, "I guess."

"Your family is growing, and I'm losing mine." Oliver sighed then asked, "Are your parents going to have me stay here while you visit your grandparents?"

Drew shook his head, "You're coming with us."

"So, where are they?"

"Up in Wasaga Beach." Drew threw off his blanket and then panicked and put it back over himself.

Oliver stood up and stretched, "Can I use the bathroom?"

"Of course."

"Cool. Be right back."

Oliver walked into the bathroom and closed the door. As soon as he did, Drew looked down at his morning wood and tried to talk it down. He thought of things that would not excite him at all, whispered them to his crotch, and it wouldn't go down. "Oh, God, why now?"

When Drew heard the toilet flush, he grabbed a pillow and covered himself. Oliver looked at Drew and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh yeah. I'm fine."

Oliver smiled and asked, "Are you sure?"

"Uh-huh."

"Morning wood?"

Drew shook his head, "I just hate that I can't control it."

"You like me that much, huh?" Drew's eyes bugged out, and Oliver quickly said, "I'm just kidding!"

Drew narrowed his eyes at Oliver.

"I'll leave you alone."

Drew chuckled, "Just tell my mom I'll be up in a bit."

Oliver nodded and walked out of Drew's room. Drew gingerly got up off his bed and walked into the bathroom.

* * *

Emma waited in the kitchen and got everything ready for the pancakes she was going to make. A few minutes later, Sean and Maddie walked into the house. "Hey, babe."

"Hi!"

Sean looked around and asked, "Where are Drew and Oliver?"

"They're still sleeping."

"Oh." He set everything down on the island.

Maddie walked into the kitchen, and Emma asked, "Would you like you to help me with breakfast?"

"Sure!"

"Great!"

Oliver walked into the kitchen, and Emma smiled at him, "Good morning, Oliver. How did you sleep?"

"Good, thanks again. For everything."

"You're welcome, sweetie. I'm making pancakes." Emma looked toward the basement door and asked, "Where's Drew?"

"He'll be up in a bit."

After Sean emptied the bags and set up the brunch items on the table, he sat in the living room and turned on the TV, "Oliver, you wanna watch some soccer?"

"Sure!" Oliver walked over and sat on the loveseat while Sean sat on the couch.

"Do you have a favorite team?"

Oliver nodded, "Man City. You?"

"Tottenham. I enjoy suffering."

Oliver laughed.

It took nearly 10 minutes but Drew finally made it upstairs, and when he walked into the kitchen, he kissed Emma on the cheek, "Good morning."

"Good morning, sweetie. I'm making pancakes for everyone, and dad got some other stuff. It's on the table."

Sean called out, "Morning, kiddo!"

Drew walked into the living room and sat next to Oliver, "Good morning, dad."

Sean looked over at the boys and smiled, "Oliver, we are taking a trip up to Wasaga Beach later."

"Drew told me. Are you sure it's okay that I go, Mr. Cameron?"

Sean scoffed, "Of course it is! I'm sure Drew doesn't want to hang with his parents and grandparents alone all day."

Oliver asked, "How will you explain who I am?"

"You're Drew's friend, which is true, and we'll just say that you're staying with us while your parents are away."

Oliver nodded, "Okay."

Emma called out, "The first round of pancakes is done! There's enough for two, and since Maddie helped me, she gets the first batch."

Drew said to Oliver, "You take them."

"Are you sure?"

Drew nodded, "Yep. Go ahead."

Oliver stood up, said, "Thanks," and walked toward the kitchen.

Drew looked at Sean, and Sean asked, "Everything okay?" Drew nodded. "Are you sure?"

He shrugged, "I guess I'm a little nervous."

"You have no reason to be nervous." Sean smiled, "Your grandparents are going to love you."

"I'm nervous about how they'll be with mom."

Sean leaned forward and said, "You have nothing to worry about. I already talked to them about everything. It will be fine, I promise."

Drew turned and watched as Emma handed Oliver his pancakes, then turned back to Sean. "Are you sure?"

Sean nodded, "I'm sure."

Drew smiled, "Okay."

Sean turned back to the TV, and Tottenham gave up a goal, "Oh, goddamn it!"

Emma scolded him from the kitchen. "Sean!"

Drew laughed, "Mom, you don't think we've heard that language?"

Emma shook her head and laughed. Sean said, "Look, I'm sorry. I get a little crazy watching soccer, okay?"

Emma asked, "When did you get into soccer?"

"A few years back. I was sick of listening to the guys at the shop where I worked talking about it all the time and having no idea what they were talking about."

She nodded, "Ah, I see."

Maddie sat at the island, eating her pancakes, and said to Emma, "My older brother is really into soccer. He'll be screaming at the T.V. at 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday and wake up the whole house."

Emma shook her head, "Guys and their sports."

Maddie asked, "You don't like sports?"

Emma shrugged, "I watch it, but I'm not a diehard fan like my boys are." She plated more pancakes and said, "Drew, your breakfast is ready."

Drew stood up and walked over to the island, "Thanks, mom."

"You're welcome."

* * *

After breakfast, Maddie went back up to the guest room to gather her stuff. Sean knocked on the door and walked in.

"Maddie, I have a question for you."

Maddie looked at him, "Oh?"

"Yeah," He scrunched his face and asked, "This is a little embarrassing but did Emma and I keep you up?" Maddie's face turned red, and Sean grimaced, "Oh God, I'm so sorry."

Maddie shook her head, "I get it. I've heard my older brother and his girlfriend before."

Sean laughed, "You poor thing."

Maddie shrugged and said, "I think it's nice that you and Miss Nelson love each other so much."

Sean nodded, "I love Emma more than life itself."

Maddie sighed, "I hope someone will feel that way about me someday."

Sean smiled and said, "They will." He walked to the door and turned back to her, "I can drive you home. You don't have to call your mom."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded, "Yep. I want to pick up some things before we head up to Wasaga. Meet me in my truck."

"Okay."

Sean jogged down the stairs and smiled at Drew and Oliver. He walked over to Emma and grabbed his keys off the kitchen counter. "I'm going to drop Maddie off at her house, then pick up some things I'd like to bring to my mom, and then I'll come back, and we can go?"

"Sounds good."

"Good." Sean kissed her, smiled, then whispered, "Maddie heard us last night, by the way."

Emma gasped and covered her mouth.

"See ya in a bit." Sean walked out of the house, and Emma's face felt hot.

When Maddie came down the stairs, Emma walked over to her, hugged her, and quietly said, "I'm so sorry."

Maddie laughed and said, "Thank you for everything, Miss Nelson." Drew and Oliver stood up, and Maddie laughed, "You don't have to hug me goodbye. See you at school tomorrow."

Oliver walked over and hugged her anyway, "Thank you for being so cool, Maddie."

"You're welcome."

Drew waved at her, and she walked out of the house.

Emma said, "Okay, well, you heard your dad. Get ready!"

Drew nodded then asked, "How should I dress?"

"Dress like you're going to school. Your grandparents are not fancy people at all."

Oliver said, "So I'll get my stuff and go up to the guest room?"

"Yep, and the good thing is I don't have to change the bedding because Maddie didn't sleep in it."

Drew said, "Yeah, she's an insomniac."

Emma said under her breath, "I wish I had known that sooner."

"Did you say, something mom?"

Emma smiled and said, "Nope. I'm going to finish getting ready."

* * *

By the time Sean returned from his second trip out and about, Emma, Drew, and Oliver were ready to head up to Wasaga. Sean laughed when he saw them and said, "Okay, well, I need to relieve myself first, and then we'll head out."

Emma asked, "Babe, do you want me to drive?"

"Nope, plus, my truck is bigger, and I just filled it with gas."

"Okay."

He smiled, "Give me five seconds."

"Take your time." Sean winked at her and walked into the powder room.

Emma took a deep breath, and Drew asked, "Mom, are you okay?"

"I'm just nervous."

"You never met dad's parents?"

She shook her head, "Nope, but I knew his brother when we were younger."

Drew nodded.

"They're really going to be shocked when they see how much you look like your dad."

"Did he warn them?"

Sean walked out of the powder room and said, "Yes, I told them how much you look like me." He looked at them all and said, "Come on! Let's go!"

* * *

Emma was pretty quiet during the ride up to Wasaga, but it was fine because Sean and the boys did enough talking for everyone. Emma looked out the window and smiled. While she was terrified about Sean's parents' reaction to keeping Drew away from him for nearly 14 years, she was thrilled to be with her son and with the man she loved. Two months ago, this didn't seem possible. Now? She wondered why she ever kept them away from each other.

"We're here!"

Emma snapped out of her trance and looked at the Camerons' trailer. It hadn't changed much since the last time she saw it, the day Sean decided to stay back in Wasaga and not return to Degrassi or Ellie. That all seemed like a lifetime ago.

They all got out of the truck, and right as Sean was about to knock on the door, his mom opened it, "You're here! Come in!" She turned and yelled inside, "They're here!"

Tracker and Sean's father walked out of the kitchen and into the main living area. Sean said, "Um, mom, dad, Tracker, this is Drew."

Drew stood there, not knowing what to do, so he waved and said, "Hi."

Tracker said, "Holy shit, man, he's your clone."

Sean laughed and said, "I told you!" He motioned to Oliver, "This is Drew's best friend, Oliver. We're watching him while his parents are in Europe."

Oliver also waved awkwardly and said, "Hi."

Sean's mom said, "Well, come on in and sit!"

Sean at his brother, "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too." They hugged, and Tracker focused his gaze on Emma. "Emma? Emma Nelson?"

She smiled, "Hi, Tracker."

"Oh my God, get over here!" He kept his arms open for her, and she walked into them, "You look incredible."

Sean said, "Watch it."

Tracker laughed when he pulled away from the hug. He looked at Sean and Emma and said, "I always figured you'd find your way back to each other."

Sean's mom looked at Emma and said, "Well, I'm glad you got back together; otherwise, I wouldn't have known about my only grandson."

"Ma!" Sean scolded her.

She put up her hands and said, "That's all I'm going to say about it. You're here now, and he's here, and I'm happy that our family is even bigger."

Emma nodded.

Sean held up the flowers he had been holding, "Sorry, mom, these are for you." He handed her the flowers and said, "I also brought some dessert for later."

Sean's mom linked arms with Emma and said, "Emma, come into the kitchen with me. I'm making meatloaf!"

Emma smiled and said, "That sounds great!"

Sean laughed and said, "Mom, I told you Emma was a vegetarian."

"I know that. We have a bunch of sides and salad for her!"

Emma looked at Sean and said, "It's fine. I'm sure everything will be great."

Sean followed his mom and Emma into the kitchen. "Where should I put this?"

"Put it in the fridge and leave us alone."

Sean laughed and said, "Okay." He kissed Emma on the cheek, "Have fun." He whispered, "I'll be right inside."

Emma giggled.

Mr. Cameron asked, "So, Drew, do you play any sports?"

"I tried out for basketball, but they picked a ninth-grader over me."

Tracker said, "Just come back better and stronger next year."

Drew nodded.

Sean walked into the room and sat next to Tracker, "Man, I still can't believe you're here. How are the girls?"

Tracker said, "Hoo boy. We have some drama." He looked at Drew, "Your oldest cousin, Sarah, came out to us last month."

Sean's dad asked, "Came out?"

Tracker nodded. "Yes, she told us she's pansexual. I didn't even know what that was until she explained it to me."

"Pansexual?" Sean's dad scoffed, "She's too young to know about that stuff."

Tracker laughed and said, "We knew we were straight at her age. It's all the same thing."

Sean couldn't believe how open-minded Tracker was being. "Wow. You've really evolved, Tracker."

He rolled his eyes, "Gee, thanks. I'm not a monster, Seany. I'll admit, it took me a few days to get used to it, but I love my daughter, no matter what. And as long as the person she's with treats her right, that's all I care about."

Oliver stood up, "Um, excuse me." He walked out, and Sean stood up.

Tracker watched as Oliver left the trailer and asked, "Is he okay?"

"Uh, yeah." Drew got up, and Sean said, "I'll handle this. Be right back."

Sean jogged out of the trailer and ran up to Oliver. "Oliver!"

Oliver stopped walking and said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Cameron."

Sean put his hand on Oliver's shoulder and said, "Oliver, it's okay. I'm sorry. I didn't know anything about this. This is the first time I'm seeing my brother in a long time."

"I just wish my mom could be like you."

"I know, and I'm sorry she's not."

Oliver began to cry, and Sean hugged him, "You'll be okay. I promise. We will help you through this."

"Thank you."

Tracker looked out the door and asked Drew, "What's going on with your friend?"

Drew said, "It's not my place to say."

Tracker nodded then asked, "Is it something similar to my daughter?"

Drew nodded, "Me too, by the way."

Tracker turned to Drew and asked, "Yeah?"

"Yes. And my parents know, and they're fine with it."

Tracker smiled, "I will give you Sarah's email. You two can talk to each other."

Drew asked, "Will you ever bring them here, or will we have to go out to see you?"

Tracker shrugged, "We'll see. I'm just here to help out a friend with a job." He took out his phone and showed Drew pictures of his cousins.

"Are they all tall like you?"

Tracker laughed, "Yes. You're almost as tall as your dad."

Drew smiled, "Yeah, he always jokes about how much taller I'll be than him. My mom's dad is tall."

"Our dad is tall, and poor Sean got the short genes from mom's side of the family."

Sean and Oliver headed back to the trailer, and Sean let Oliver walk in ahead of him.

Tracker asked, "Is everything okay?"

Oliver nodded, "Yeah."

Sean looked around and said, "Maybe you guys should go take a walk around, and we'll call you inside when dinner's ready."

Drew nodded and said to Oliver, "Let's go."

When the boys walked out, Tracker looked at Sean, "Drew told me."

"He did?"

Tracker nodded, "I told him I'd give him Sarah's email."

Sean smiled, "Thank you, I appreciate that."

"Well, the cousins should get to know each other, right?"

Sean nodded, "Thank you for being so cool about this, man."

"As I said, I'm going through the same thing. So what's going on with Oliver?"

"His mom kicked him out."

Tracker shook his head, "Some people shouldn't be parents."

Mr. Cameron asked, "What are you two whispering about over there?"

Tracker laughed and said, "We're not whispering, pop."

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Emma and Mrs. Cameron were preparing the meatloaf.

"Is it okay that I'm making this?"

"Yes! I'm the only vegetarian here. I wouldn't want to force everyone to eat something they don't want to."

"Drew isn't a vegetarian?"

Emma laughed, "No. Our son is very headstrong."

"Like his father."

Emma smiled and said, "Yes. He's just like Sean."

"I can't get over how much he looks like Seany too. He warned us, but I still wasn't prepared."

"Yeah, it's like being in high school again sometimes."

Mrs. Cameron turned and looked at Emma, "Why did you keep him from my son for so long?"

Emma shook her head, "I wanted to tell him, but the longer it went on, the easier it became to keep the secret. It wasn't malicious, I promise." Mrs. Cameron nodded, and Emma continued, "Then, out of nowhere, Sean reappeared in my life, and he found out about Drew before I could tell him."

Mrs. Cameron nodded then asked, "Do you love my son?"

Emma nodded, "He's the love of my life."

Mrs. Cameron smiled, "He really turned his life around."

Emma smiled, "I'm so proud of him. And he's an amazing father."

"Good." She wiped a tear away, "I'm glad to hear it."

Emma grabbed Mrs. Cameron's hand and smiled.

Sean walked into the kitchen, saw Emma and Mrs. Cameron holding hands, and asked, "Is everything okay in here?"

"Yep." Emma smiled, "Everything's fine."


End file.
